Star Wars (Starring the Doctor) Episode II: Attack of the Clones
by blade0627
Summary: The Sith have returned, and the Doctor and his Jedi Order are waiting for the next move, which will end up being known throughout the galaxy as the Clone Wars. Meanwhile, the Doctor obtains guidance from a mysterious voice that feels familiar to him and begins feeling attraction to a certain Jedi. Join the Jedi as they prepare for the inevitable galactic war! I don't own DW or SW.
1. Ten Years

Prologue: Ten Years

Ten years had passed since the re-emergence of the Order of the Sith Lords on Naboo. In that time, the Gallifreyan Jedi Grand Master known as the Doctor had watched as the Republic began to crumble before his eyes. His old friend and one-time student, a Master by the name of Dooku, had separated himself from the Jedi Order, following the death of his former apprentice, Qui-Gon Jinn, having grown tired of the endless ramblings of the Galactic Senate. After Dooku's departure, marking him as the twentieth of the Lost Twenty, numerous Galactic Senators followed in his footsteps, forming a small, but formidable faction known as the Confederacy of Independent Systems. This group was constantly at odds with the Republic, and Chancellor Palpatine was not helping very much, turning them away as soon as they broke ties with the Republic. If more Senators broke away, then the Jedi would have to act as leaders in a war where the Republic had no army. They hadn't needed one; wars had not been fought between the Republic and some other faction in almost four thousand years, so the Republic had disbanded its military after the Old Sith War. Now, the Doctor started thinking that the Republic might have regretted that decision. Palpatine certainly had, for he started trying to push the Military Creation Act through the Senate, which would legalize the creation of an army.

Always, the Doctor worried about the Sith, and how they would strike at the Jedi again. They had remained docile these past ten years, what with the death of the Sith Lord on Naboo, whose name, the Doctor learned eventually, was Darth Maul. But now, the Doctor got the suspicion that the Sith would use the imminent war between the Republic and the CIS to strike back.

The Council had suffered its own losses as well. Masters Yarael Poof and Yaddle had been killed on missions on Coruscant and Mawan, respectively. The Council had nominated Vurk Master Coleman Trebor and Togruta Master Shaak Ti to replace the revered Masters.

Anakin Skywalker had been training with Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi for the past ten years, and though they were great friends, the Doctor got the inkling that Anakin did not like how Obi-Wan was teaching him. Anakin seemed too free-spirited for Obi-Wan, and because of this, the Doctor could also see the frustration from Obi-Wan as well. Anakin's progress was indeed promising, and the Doctor knew he was a very skilled Jedi, but this was exactly the problem; Anakin knew he was a skilled Jedi as well. This made him arrogant, and reckless, traits unbecoming of a Jedi. Although, the Doctor knew that he had once exhibited those traits as well. Anakin would grow out of them eventually as the Doctor did. The Doctor knew that Anakin would fulfill his destiny as the Chosen One, as Qui-Gon had predicted.

Or so he thought.

This is the story of the Doctor during the outbreak of the Clone Wars, and the beginning of the end for the Jedi Order.


	2. Chancellor Palpatine

Chapter One: Chancellor Palpatine

The Doctor was meeting with Supreme Chancellor Palpatine for what seemed like the millionth time. Joining him were several distinguished Jedi: Mace Windu, Ki-Adi-Mundi, and Plo Koon, of course joined him, as they were leading members of the Jedi High Council. Also joining him were Nautolan Master Kit Fisto, Mirialan Master Luminara Unduli, and her Padawan, Mirialan Barriss Offee. The Doctor had great respect for all of these Jedi, and he was glad that they were joining him in this meeting with Palpatine.

During the meeting, the Chancellor had received a report about an attack on a landing platform on Coruscant itself. It said that Senator Amidala was involved, but offered no specifics. This got the Doctor worried. Padme Amidala was considered to be a good friend of the Doctor, and her death would make this dark time turn even darker. No doubt she had come to try and repeal the Military Creation Act, as she was against fighting a war. She had seen enough of that ten years ago, when she was Queen of Naboo.

The Doctor turned his attention away from his worries about the attack and focused instead on Palpatine and what he was saying.

"I don't know how much longer I can hold the vote off, my friends," said the Chancellor, referring to the Military Creation Act. "More and more star systems are disbanding from the Republic and joining the Separatists."

"If even more systems were to break away-" began Mace Windu, but Palpatine interrupted.

"Master Windu, I assure you, I will not let this Republic, which has stood for over a thousand years, be split into two. I will negotiate with the remaining Republic Senators who think to split off, and my negotiations will not fail."

"If they do," said Mace Windu, "you have to realize that there simply aren't enough Jedi to help protect the Republic."

"He's right," Kit Fisto chimed in. "We're keepers of the peace, not soldiers." The Chancellor turned his head to the Doctor, who had his arms propped on his knees, sitting on the edge of his seat, taking in the conversation. He hadn't said much, and it seemed that the Chancellor wanted the Grand Master's insight on the matter.

"Doctor?" asked the Chancellor, getting the Doctor's attention. "Do you really think it is going to come to a war?"

The Doctor thought for a moment before answering.

"I don't know, Chancellor," said the Doctor. "The Dark Side seems to cloud everything nowadays. It makes the future frustratingly impossible to see." The Doctor saw Plo Koon nod his head in agreement. Master Koon had tried to sense the future along with the Doctor and their fellow Council member and friend, Iktotchi Jedi Master Saesee Tiin. So far, they had come up with nothing.

Before the Chancellor could further question the Doctor's judgement, a hologram of a Rodian appeared before the Chancellor at his desk. The Rodian began to speak to the Chancellor in a language the Doctor had immediately recognized as Huttese.

"The Delegation from Naboo is here, my lord," said the Rodian.

"Good. Send them in," the Chancellor replied as the hologram disappeared. "We will discuss this matter later, my friends," he said to the Jedi before rising from his desk. The Doctor quickly rose from his chair and smiled, sensing who was about to walk through that door. And just as he predicted, the doors opened and in walked Senator Amidala and her delegation. The Doctor greeted her with a polite shake of the hand.

"Hello, Senator Amidala," said the Doctor, looking down at her from his tower of 185 centimeters as opposed to her 165 centimeters. "It's very good to see you alive again, especially after hearing of the terrible attack on the landing platform."

"Thank you, Doctor," Senator Amidala replied with a quick smile in return, and then returned to her solemn expression. "Do you have any idea who's behind this attack?"

"Some sources point to disgruntled spice miners on the moons of Naboo," explained Master Windu. "Unfortunately, we are not completely sure."

"I think that Count Dooku is behind it," countered Senator Amidala. "And I am sure of that."

This accusation caught the attention of every Jedi in the room, especially the ones who were on the Council.

"Count Dooku of Serenno is a political idealist," said Ki-Adi-Mundi. "He is not a murderer."

"My Lady, Dooku was once a Jedi," said Mace. "He wouldn't assassinate anyone."

"He's right," said the Doctor. "It isn't in the character of Dooku to do that. My guess is that someone much more amoral is responsible. Nute Gunray, perhaps?" The Doctor knew that Nute Gunray, who was still somehow Viceroy of the Trade Federation, even after three separate trials, harbored a huge grudge against Senator Amidala, as she had foiled his plans to take over her planet ten years ago. If anyone were to plot her assassination, it would most likely have been him.

"Regardless, Senator," said Plo Koon, one of the few times he was ever vocal among so many of his Councilmen. "You are in grave danger." The Doctor looked over his shoulder at his friend, pleasantly surprised at his input.

_Since when did you become so bold, Master Koon? _he thought at the Kel Dor. And although the Doctor did not receive a thought in return, he could sense a smirk underneath Plo's mask.

"Master Jedi," the Chancellor spoke from the window overlooking the city-planet of Coruscant, "because you seem so sure of the Senator's certain danger, might I suggest that she be placed under the protection of your graces?"

Senator Bail Organa of Alderaan stepped forward and adopted an expression of concern. He then pointed out to the Chancellor,

"Do you really think that's a wise decision in these troubling times?"

"Chancellor, if I may say," said Padme, getting a bit heated, "I don't think that-"

"The situation is that serious?" interrupted Palpatine. "Yes, you may not, but I certainly do. And I do realize that additional security may seem disruptive or troublesome for you, so may I further suggest to assign the job to someone...familiar to you? An old friend, perhaps, such as Master Kenobi?"

"That's certainly possible," said Mace. "He's just returned with Skywalker from a border dispute on Ansion."

"I'm sure he'd be glad to be in your services again, Senator," said the Doctor, who had been eyeing the Chancellor a bit suspiciously. Palpatine was nothing but suspicious anymore, and anything he did seemed to rattle the cage of the Doctor's curiosity, which was about as good of an idea as rattling the cage of an hungry nexu. Like the nexu, the Doctor would get very frustrated and try to pounce. And as if the Chancellor could read the Doctor's thoughts of agitation right then and there, he approached the Senator and said in an almost sickeningly sweet tone,

"Please, My Lady. If you won't do it for yourself, do it for me. The thought of losing you is simply _unbearable_."

Padme Amidala did not agree, nor disagree with the Chancellor's beseeching. The Doctor stepped forward to her, assuming that her silence was an acceptance to the notion.

"I will have Obi-Wan report to you immediately, My Lady," he said, with a respectful bow. "In the meantime, I'll accompany you back to your apartment." The Senator thanked him and turned to leave. And before the Doctor turned to follow her and the rest of the Jedi out, he glanced back at the Chancellor once again in suspicion.

There was just something about him. The Doctor couldn't quite put his finger on it. All he knew was that he had a bad feeling about it.

* * *

**Hello again! It's good to be back! Here is the prologue and the first chapter of Star Wars (Starring the Doctor) Episode II: Attack of the Clones. I hope you guys like it just as much as you did Episode I, if not more. Things will be mentioned and done in Episode II that will carry into events further down in the series. Like, way further down. Seriously, the Doctor does something here in Episode II that affects him throughout much of the series, culminating in an action done by him in Episode VI. If you'd like to guess what he does here in Episode II, feel free to PM me whenever you like.**

**As always, reviews are appreciated. If you have any questions about the series, then feel free to leave them in a review or in a PM, and I will endeavor to answer them as best as I can without giving away any major spoilers. Oh, hey, it's time for a progress report!**

**I: Finished**

**II: Finished**

**CW: Finished**

**III: In progress**

**IV: Not started**

**V: Not started**

**VI: Not started**

**I've actually made some good progress on RotS, and I'm on the ninth chapter of, like, fifteen. So, I suppose you could say that the series as a whole is over 50% done! *cheers and fireworks* So, yeah, I'm going to go work on that while you enjoy the beginnings of AotC. Until the next chapter, my friends!**


	3. Amidala and Skywalker

Chapter Two: Amidala and Skywalker

The Doctor escorted Senator Amidala to her Senatorial apartment, which overlooked a good portion of the Coruscant skyline. There, he was introduced to Captain Gregar Typho, new Head of Security for Naboo, taking over from Captain Panaka, his uncle and mentor. The Doctor shook hands with the man, and quickly received an impression of the Captain as well. In Gregar Typho, there was duty, honor, and...love. The Doctor found that last bit interesting. He didn't find out exactly who it was whom Typho was so infatuated with, although he probably could have at any time.

"Hello, Captain, I'm the Doctor," he said with a smile. The Doctor looked around the modest suite, and he soon found the Gungan Jar Jar Binks looking around as well. The Gungan noticed the Doctor, and he quickly hugged the Doctor, clearly remembering him after ten years.

"Meesa so happy to see yousa, Docta!" Jar Jar rejoiced in happiness at seeing the Doctor once more. The Doctor couldn't help but laugh at Jar Jar's uncontrollable excitement.

"It's good to see you too, Jar Jar," the Doctor replied. "Now, may I have a word with Senator Amidala in private, please?"

"Of course, Doctor," said Captain Typho. "Jar Jar?"

"Meesa berry, berry happy yousa here, Docta!" said Jar Jar as he exited.

The Doctor turned to Padme and smiled at her. She looked almost exactly the same as when he first met her on Naboo. Her personality seemed the same, too. She was hard-set on bringing and keeping peace. He admired that in her.

"You've been thinking about Anakin a lot since you've arrived, haven't you?" asked the Doctor.

"No, I haven't, Doctor," said Padme, keeping her eyes firmly on the ground at the Doctor's feet. "I haven't seen him in ten years. Why would my mind cross to him now?"

"Because you know that Obi-Wan Kenobi is training him," said the Doctor. "And you know that Obi-Wan Kenobi is coming here today. And you know that, as his Padawan, Anakin will come with him." Padme turned away from the Doctor, walking towards the window, most likely to conceal her expression from him.

"My focus is on the identity of my attacker, Doctor. Not on the appearance of Ani-excuse me, Anakin," Padme firmly stated, catching herself from saying Anakin's childhood nickname. "Master Obi-Wan and his Padawan are here for security purposes, not personal matters."

"Good," said the Doctor, ignoring the use of the nickname. "Can you keep it that way?"

"I have!" Padme said, once again flaring as she did in the meeting with the Chancellor. She then cleared her throat and said once again, much calmer, "I have, Doctor."

"Good," said the Doctor. "But just to be clear, you're allowed to be happy to see him. Just try not to make him fall in love with you, okay?"

"Who said I was trying to make him?" asked Padme.

"Nobody did," answered the Doctor. "Now, I should have told you this before, but I'm looking out for both of you. Anakin is too adjusted to attachment. And he's experienced leaving someone he cares about before. If he formed an attachment with you, and something happened to you, it would destroy him. And I think vice versa is applicable here as well. You'd be devastated if something were to happen to him."

Padme remained silent to the Doctor's statement. The Doctor knew that despite her denials, she would never bring herself to deny that she would, in fact, be devastated. He didn't need a verbal answer to know that much.

"You're not a Jedi. You're allowed to care about him, Padme," said the Doctor. "Just don't let him reciprocate."

"Do you really think he would attach to me, Doctor?" Padme asked quietly, colored with a very subtle hint of hope. Before the Doctor could answer, the excited calls of Jar Jar were heard again, rejoicing now for the arrival of Obi-Wan Kenobi.

"Let's find out," said the Doctor with a small smile as Jar Jar, Captain Typho, Obi-Wan, now sporting a beard, and Anakin, who had shot up in height, all entered the room.

"Senator Padme!" called Jar Jar. The Doctor and Padme turned around as Jar Jar continued. "Meesa pallos here! Looky looky, Senator. More Jedi arriven." Both the Doctor and Padme walked to meet Obi-Wan and Anakin, both of whom bowed with respect to the Senator and the Grand Master.

"It's good to see you again, Master Doctor," Obi-Wan said as he rose from bowing. The Doctor smirked and interrupted Obi-Wan before he continued.

"Remember, Obi-Wan," the Doctor reminded him, "just 'Doctor' is fine. And it's fantastic to see you again as well!"

"Forgive me, Doctor," Obi-Wan bowed again apologetically, showing the same hint of discomfort in dropping the title 'Master' as his own late Master, Qui-Gon Jinn, had before. The Doctor was briefly reminded of Master Qui-Gon in this moment of slight deja vu, but brushed it off as nothing. Obi-Wan then turned to Padme and shook her hand. "And it's always a great pleasure to see you, my Lady."

"It's been far too long, Master Kenobi," Padme said with a smile. She looked at Anakin, noted his immense growth-he was now taller than Obi-Wan-and gaped at him for a moment. The Doctor smirked as she made the connection.

"Ani?!" she asked in shock, to which the Padawan nodded. "Oh, my goodness, you've grown."

"And so have you," Anakin replied, with an expression of something resembling adoration. "Grown more beautiful, I mean." There was a pause which made the air seem a bit tense. It seemed as though Anakin had completely forgotten that there were other people in the room other than Padme. After a second too long, he must've felt the tension, and attempted to cover his comment.

"Well, f-for a Senator, I mean, of course," he stammered slightly. A small laugh escaped Padme's lips and she shook her head, smiling from ear to ear.

"Oh, Ani," she said nostalgically, "you'll always be that little boy I knew on Tatooine." The Doctor was pleased with Padme's response, but Anakin looked crestfallen. Clearly, he definitely remembered her as much as Obi-Wan claimed. To avoid another uncomfortable silence, the Doctor clapped his hands together and proposed,

"So, why don't we all sit down and discuss this protection business, hm?"

"I agree," said Obi-Wan. "I can assure you that our presence here will be unnoticed."

"I'm Captain Typho of her Majesty's Security Service," Typho introduced himself to the Jedi. "Queen Jamillia has been recently informed of your assignment. Furthermore, I am grateful that you three are here for Senator Amidala's protection. The circumstances are more dangerous than the Senator will admit."

"With all due respect, Captain," the Senator said, looking at Typho, then at Obi-Wan, "I want answers, not more security. I need to know who is trying to kill me."

"We'll find out who's trying to kill you, Padme," said Anakin intensely. "I promise."

The Doctor watched as Obi-Wan's frustration with his strong-willed Padawan began to resurface.

"We are not to exceed our mandate, my young Padawan. We are, in fact, here to protect and _only _to protect. Not to investigate," Obi-Wan half said, half commanded of Anakin.

"I meant it in the interest of protecting her, Master," defended Anakin.

"Anakin, we will not go through this exercise again," Obi-Wan quietly instructed Anakin, attempting to keep his own temper in check. "And you will pay attention to my lead at all times."

"But why?" said Anakin, unwittingly creating an air of extreme tension in the room.

"What?" asked Obi-Wan, surprised at the outburst.

"Why else were we assigned to her if not to find out who the killer is?" asked Anakin. "Protection is a job for local security droids, not three Jedi, and certainly not the Grand Master of the Order. It's overkill, Master. Investigation is implied in our mandate."

"Our job is to do exactly as the Jedi Council has instructed," the Doctor interjected, hoping to settle the increasingly heated debate between Obi-Wan and Anakin. And he did-for the most part. They both nodded to the Doctor, and Obi-Wan quietly commented,

"And you will learn your place, young one."

The Doctor could visibly see Anakin swallowing his pride as he lowered his gaze to the ground. It seemed that time had only caused Anakin's arrogance to inflate little by little, and because of this, the Doctor made a mental note to keep a particularly close eye on the Skywalker boy throughout this assignment.

It was Padme who broke the tense silence by standing and saying,

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be retiring now." The Doctor, Anakin, Obi-Wan, Jar Jar, and Padme's aide, the ever-silent Dorme, all stood with Padme. The Jedi bowed to Padme as she exited with Dorme.

"I know I'm glad to have you three around," said Captain Typho to Obi-Wan and the Doctor as Anakin joined in a conversation with Jar Jar. "I'll have officers stationed on every floor and I'll be in the control room myself."

"Very good," said the Doctor, clapping the Captain on the back. "May the Force be with you in your duties, Captain." The Doctor and Obi-Wan separated from Captain Typho to have a quick look around the apartment. The Doctor was looking around the room when he found a familiar astromech rolling around the hallway.

"R2!" cried the Doctor in delight. "Oh, I haven't seen you in a while! How've you been?"

R2-D2 whistled and chirped in his unique language that he was glad to see the Doctor again.

"I am too, buddy!" said the Doctor. "So, what'll you be doing for Senator Amidala?"

R2 chirped that he would be right with Senator Amidala as she slept, guarding her room with a floor-spanning alarm system that would alert him to any presence in the room.

"Excellent!" said the Doctor, patting the little droid affectionately, like he had to a dog-droid he had once owned, a long time ago. "No assassin's gonna get past you!" R2 whistled again, turning and nudging Obi-Wan in the shin once to get his attention. The Doctor noticed that Obi-Wan was troubled. He was spaced out, brooding over something, most likely Anakin's stubborn behavior. Obi-Wan blinked a few times and then patted R2 in the same fashion the Doctor had.

"Doctor," Obi-Wan inquired, "I have fought many battles and have negotiated with many races across the galaxy. But I have yet to come across a battle or a negotiation as ongoing and as tiresome as with this boy!"

"But that's just it," said the Doctor. "He's still a boy. Going through the normal rebellion phase. I've done it at least ten times."

"All Jedi have gone through this phase, I suppose," Obi-Wan said. "But as his trainer-and not just any trainer, but the Master of the Chosen One-I fear that when the time comes for him to be Knighted, he will no longer give any regard to my teachings, and his stubbornness will cloud his rationality."

"Obi-Wan, that boy hangs on every word you say, even if they upset him," consoled the Doctor. "You're his mentor, and he'll look up to you, even after he's Knighted." Obi-Wan graciously nodded at the Doctor's words of wisdom, then looked at his Padawan, seemingly upset over something.

"Excuse me, Doctor," Obi-Wan said as he headed towards Anakin and Jar Jar. The Doctor patted R2 again before heading downstairs to check on Captain Typho's security and prepare for a long night.

* * *

**Hooray for filler chapters! Next one will feature more action, I promise! Anyway, hope you liked this one. Keep those reviews coming. I enjoy hearing what you think about this story! If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I also enjoy answering your questions. I don't bite. I promise. :D**

**Anyway, that's about it for this author's note. Until the next chapter, my friends!**


	4. Hunting Down an Assassin

Chapter Three: Hunting Down An Assassin

The Jedi spent the entire day patrolling around the suite, making sure nothing got past them undetected. Senator Amidala's security was their top priority, and they would make sure that she slept undisturbed through the entire night. Obi-Wan and Anakin had taken an 11-hour caffpatch in order to stay awake and on guard. The Doctor, being accustomed to staying awake and alert for days on end, did not need a caffpatch, and instead took the time to look out of the window, observing Coruscant's beautiful nighttime cityscape. And it was truly beautiful.

For some odd reason the Doctor couldn't pinpoint, he started to think about his good friend, Stass Allie, a fellow Jedi who was recently Knighted after completing training with her Master, Roranicus Pond. She had grown up quite a bit in ten years. Her child-like demeanor had faded away over ten years of life, though she always had time for chats with the Doctor. The Doctor always enjoyed their chats, now more so than ever.

She had been very upset at Master Qui-Gon's death at the hands of Darth Maul, but the consolations of her cousin, fellow Council member Adi Gallia, and the Doctor himself got her through those troubling times. She focused harder than ever to become a Jedi Healer as she always dreamed of doing, so things like that couldn't happen to other Jedi while she was around. The Doctor respected and even admired her very much for that. It reminded him of the meaning of his name, and it gave the name of the Doctor even more meaning that Stass was becoming a Healer. She was simply fantastic.

The Doctor was jerked out of his thoughts by a question from Obi-Wan.

"What do you think, Doctor?" he asked. The Doctor looked at him quizzically.

"Of what?" he asked in response.

"Are politicians trustworthy?" asked Anakin. "I think some of them are. Master Obi-Wan disagrees."

"There are a couple, like Senators Amidala, Organa, and Mothma, who have their hearts in the right place," answered the Doctor after a moment of thought. "But there are others who..." The Doctor trailed off, having sensed something sinister at work in Senator Amidala's bedroom. Both Obi-Wan and Anakin looked in the direction of Padme's room as the Doctor did, expressions of urgency clear on their faces.

"I sense it, too," said Obi-Wan quickly as all three Jedi sprinted to the room.

Anakin was the first to enter. Having sensed the locations of the small, but deadly creatures that wished to kill Senator Amidala, the young Padawan quickly activated his lightsaber and pounced on Amidala's bed, cutting both creatures in half, and waking the Senator up with a start. Obi-Wan noticed something in the window of the bedroom, and quickly ran to intercept whatever was hovering outside. He crashed through the window as the Doctor ran out of the bedroom to find a speeder and catch up with Obi-Wan. As Anakin joined him, the Doctor ran past Typho and Dorme as they ran into the bedroom of the now-terrified Senator Amidala.

The Doctor and Anakin ran onto a speeder lot, where they found a line of speeders, all waiting to be flown through Coruscant. The Doctor noticed that Anakin was quickly inspecting each speeder. The Doctor grabbed Anakin by the sleeve and said,

"No time for that, Anakin! We've got to catch Obi-Wan!" As the two Jedi settled in a bright yellow speeder, one that could easily be seen at night by Obi-Wan, the Doctor exclaimed, "Allons-y!"

The Doctor and Anakin flew through the landscape of Coruscant, searching for Obi-Wan relentlessly. Anakin, who was piloting the speeder while the Doctor did more of the searching, turned his head to the Doctor in question.

"Doctor, I don't mean to be rude," he said tentatively, "but what was that word you said? Allawzy?"

"Allons-y?" clarified the Doctor. "It's a Gallifreyan word for 'let's go.' I'm particularly fond of it! Ooh! I wonder if I ever met someone called Alonso! Then I could say, 'Allons-y, Alonso!' Wouldn't that be great!?"

"Yes, Doctor," Anakin politely responded, still confused at the Doctor's comments.

"Was that sarcasm I detected, young Skywalker?" asked the Doctor, a smirk on his face.

"No, Doctor," Anakin said, repressing a smirk of his own. "I only was agreeing with your...unique statements."

"You know, if you practiced saber cadences as much as wit, you'd rival Master Windu and myself as a swordsman," said the Doctor cheekily.

"I thought I already did, Doctor," Anakin retorted proudly. And before the Doctor could say anything else, Anakin suddenly began moving the speeder downward. The Doctor looked to his right, and as Anakin sped downward, he saw that they were catching up with Obi-Wan, who was in the midst of free-fall at the moment. Faster and faster Anakin flew, and as Obi-Wan was surpassed by the speeder, Anakin let it fall just slower than Obi-Wan, so the Jedi Knight would slowly descend right onto the speeder. Anakin did his best to keep the speeder steady, while the Doctor outstretched his hand towards Obi-Wan, allowing him to grab the Doctor's hand and be pulled onto the speeder.

"What took you so long?" asked Obi-Wan as he tried to look for something.

"Oh, you know, Master," said Anakin. "The Doctor and I needed to find a speeder that we really liked." Obi-Wan took the time to quickly point out a sleek green speeder, one that belonged to the owner of the droid in the window that he had grabbed onto.

"There he is," said Obi-Wan.

"The assassin?" asked the Doctor. Obi-Wan nodded, and Anakin accelerated towards the green speeder, relentlessly chasing his target.

Their own bright yellow speeder hounded the assassin's green as they streaked through the skies of Coruscant. Anakin was a pretty good pilot, even on the caliber of Saesee Tiin, the Doctor thought, and he was careful to avoid any oncoming speeders. Then again, it was easy to assume that the Skywalker boy had always been a good pilot, ever since he was nine years old and the Doctor heard countless tales of how the little boy had accidentally gone up in the space fight while the Doctor, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon dealt with Darth Maul.

But of course, Anakin being the reckless young man he was, had to make Obi-Wan and the Doctor fear for their lives a little. A massive ship had just slowly flown into their field of vision. The assassin's speeder easily outmaneuvered it, but Anakin seemed to want to collide head-long into it. The Doctor and Obi-Wan looked at each other, shock and terror written on their faces.

"Pull up, Anakin!" shouted Obi-Wan. "PULL UP!" But the only response from Anakin was an excited, boyish grin as the nose of the speeder still pointed downward...until the very last second, when Anakin jerked it back up to a level plane. The Doctor's hearts stopped beating so rapidly, slowly decelerating as the Gallifreyan calmed down.

"That was fun!" he said. "Gave me a bit of a rush, you know? Like a vigorous jog! It's good for the health!"

"Doctor," Obi-Wan said, still in a bit of a panicky mode, "I would appreciate it if you would _not _encourage my Padawan's reckless and, quite frankly, suicidal behavior!"

"...but, seriously, Anakin, never do that again," the Doctor added, transitioning from the thrill-seeking Gallifreyan to the moderately responsible Grand Master.

"Yes, Doctor," said Anakin, a small smirk still present on his face.

"Let's just concentrate on finding the assassin, shall we?" asked Obi-Wan, ever the focused one of the three of them.

"Of course, Master," said Anakin. "I see him."

Anakin continued the chase through Coruscant as the yellow speeder started to catch up with the green once again. They flew out of the sector of city they were in, and were soon recognizing an industrial section of the city. Pillars with fire coming out of them as factory power generators burned an archaic carbon-based fuel surrounded the two speeders as they continued their game of cat-and-mouse through Coruscant. The Doctor could see the assassin's arm extend from his window and shoot his blaster at a huge gateway-like apparatus. The assassin's speeder made it through the gate just in time, before bolts of electricity buzzed to life before the Jedi's eyes. The Doctor realized too late what the apparatus really was.

"Anakin!" cried Obi-Wan. "How many times have I told you to-" Obi-Wan's thought was interrupted when Anakin's piloting took them right through the gate. The Doctor felt a wave of electricity crash down onto him. He quickly expelled the pain with his mind, but Anakin and Obi-Wan were not so fortunate.

"-stay away-from-power couplings!" Obi-Wan finished, his speech jerked around by electrical impulses as his Padawan uttered expressions of pain as electricity zapped through him.

The electricity's hold on them was released as suddenly as it had begun, and the Jedi were on the trail once more. The assassin led them into another portion of city as the Doctor saw several dozen civilian speeders enter his field of vision. Keeping a trained eye on the assassin, he watched as the green speeder tried to shake the Jedi off of him. It was to no avail. Even at nineteen, Anakin was one of the better pilots in the order.

But it became evident that Anakin knew this fact about himself as well. The Doctor watched the green speeder swerve left out of the mainstream of civilian traffic, into a tunnel. However, Anakin deliberately did not follow the speeder and kept his straight course, paying no mind to the tunnel.

"Where are you going?" Obi-Wan asked, befuddled, turning around in his seat. "He went that way, in the tunnel!"

"Master, if we keep this chase going on any longer, that creep is going to eventually end up getting away," said Anakin. "Personally, I'd like to find out who he is and who he's working for. This is a shortcut...I think." Anakin's statement of unsureness led the Doctor to believe that the young Padawan didn't really know what he was doing.

The Doctor's beliefs quickly were realized as their speeder slowly stopped, yet there was no sign of the green speeder anywhere.

"Well, fantastic," Obi-Wan muttered, "you've lost him."

"I'm deeply sorry, Master," said Anakin. The Doctor lost his attention on the next bantering between Anakin and Obi-Wan. He felt an inkling in the Force, as if it were calling out to him. A familiar voice seemed to pop into his head and give him an idea.

_Jump_, said the voice. _Jump now_.

The Doctor did as the voice told.

"If you'll excuse me, gentlemen," he said as he fell from the speeder. He felt a glimpse of Obi-Wan and Anakin's surprise as he continued to fall towards the surface of Coruscant. He really hoped this voice knew what it was doing as he accelerated faster and faster until he saw it. A small speck of green that entered his vision.

The assassin.

The Doctor repositioned himself so that he would fall right on top of the speeder. With a smack, he hit the speeder and held on tight as the assassin sped through the oncoming traffic of Coruscant. The Doctor tried to get a grip, but it was difficult with the assassin trying to shake him off. And to make matters worse, the assassin reached out of the window again with blaster in hand, aiming it at the Doctor while driving.

As the assassin shot out the side of the speeder, the Doctor hopped over to the other side of the speeder, out of the blaster's range. The assassin brought the gun back into the cockpit of the speeder after shooting three or four times, and the Doctor still was holding on for dear life, trying to devise a way to stop the speeder and capture the assassin while he had him in sight.

After a few seconds, he had an idea. He would use Shatterpoint. Carefully, he placed his hand on the glass windshield of the speeder. He focused all of his senses to find the weakest point of the windshield. Time seemed to slow down for the Doctor as he quickly narrowed down the weak points of the glass until, at last, he found it. The glass around that point shattered and the Doctor saw the assassin's face for the first time.

Instead of being a rugged male face as he first thought, the assassin appeared to be a human female. She had nice features, a full face accented by the occasional touch of makeup. But then she looked at him, and he saw something completely different. The assassin now appeared reptilian in physical appearance, retaining nothing of the beauty of her human face, which resurfaced as soon as she looked away. The one look was all the Doctor needed to figure out her true species.

The assassin was a Clawdite, a race gifted with the ability to change their appearance at will, and nobody would notice that they had changed unless they saw the action occur.

_A living perception filter_, the Doctor mused as he caught the assassin's wrist to keep her from shooting him. She tried to take her pistol to his face, but the Doctor saw what she was doing, and he was now angling her wrist towards the speeder's anti-grav systems. He just needed to put them out of commission and-

The Doctor's thoughts were violently interrupted as the speeder lurched to the side. The anti-gravitational computer in the speeder had taken a bolt, and the assassin and the Doctor were now headed for ground. The speeder burst into flames as it came closer and closer to the ground and the crowd of citizens inhabiting it.

To avoid any serious injuries, the Doctor let go of the crashing speeder mere seconds before it met the ground, slamming into the base of a pillar and completely smashing the front end. The Doctor had landed only a few meters away from the crash, and he stood, checking for any minor injuries and brushing himself off as a crowd began to encircle him in confusion, turning into awe at the Grand Master of the Jedi Order.

"Is that the Doctor?" "What happened?" "Is he alright?" were the questions that were being thrown all around the crowd, closing in on the Doctor, who was trying to look over people's heads to spot the assassin. He feared for a moment that she had not survived the crash, and cursed himself for letting her die. But, above all of the questions humming around him, he heard one in particular which set him running,

"Where is that woman running, Doctor?"

The Doctor saw the crowd ahead of him ripple apart, as if someone were forcing their way through, and the Doctor knew that disturbance in the crowd was the assassin.

The Doctor chased her relentlessly through the streets, shoving past people in his way as she was doing. She led him through a maze of crowded streets and winding alleyways, but he managed to stay right on her heels and keep her in his line of sight. Once again, his sand shoes had proven to be rather helpful. After a few minutes of chasing her, The Doctor turned a corner and caught a glimpse of her dashing into a brightly lit club. The Doctor figured she went in there to hide, seeing how running was doing no good. Before he followed the assassin in, he noticed a familiar yellow speeder landing on the street next to the club entrance. Obi-Wan and Anakin hopped out of the speeder and caught up with the Doctor.

"Where's the assassin?" asked Anakin, eager to catch Padme's would-have-been killer.

"In the club," said the Doctor. "Come on."

As the three of them rushed in, The Doctor heard Obi-Wan warn Anakin aside,

"Don't even think about pulling a stunt like the Doctor just did, Anakin."

"Yes, Master," Anakin complied. The Doctor smirked and shot over his shoulder,

"There's no need in giving your Master another heart attack, young one. He doesn't have two hearts like I do. He can't spare his."

"Don't say that, Doctor," Anakin said. "Master Obi-Wan is the closest thing I have to a father."

"Then why do you rarely listen to me?" Obi-Wan questioned. Anakin turned his head away from Obi-Wan, scanning the bars and tables, with the final comment of,

"I am trying, Master."

The three Jedi stopped to look around, surveying the situation with keen eyes.

"Can you see him, Doctor?" asked Obi-Wan, turning to the Grand Master for advice.

"I think he is a she, Master Kenobi," corrected the Doctor. "And she's a Clawdite. She could be anywhere."

"Then, in that case, we must be extra careful," extrapolated Obi-Wan. The entire club was crowded from wall to wall, and the dimmed lights certainly wouldn't help with the search. The Doctor definitely sensed the assassin's presence, but with all of the surrounding commotion, he wasn't entirely sure where to look. Obi-Wan must've sensed it too, and he also must've formulated a way to bring her out of the crowd.

"Go and find her," he told Anakin as he began to walk into the crowd.

"And where are you going, Master?" asked Anakin. Obi-Wan turned and replied casually,

"For a drink." He then submerged into the crowd towards one end of the bar. The Doctor figured that Obi-Wan was trying to spread the three of them out to cover more area, which was a risky but clever idea, to say the least. Anakin turned to the Doctor before venturing off on his own.

"Are you going to look for her too, Doctor?" he asked.

"I think so," the Doctor said, almost absently. "I could use a good cuppa after all that running and chasing." With that, the Doctor ventured off to find a different seat than Obi-Wan. He attracted enough attention on his own, but the Grand Master of the Order and a Jedi Knight sitting together were bound to draw more than a few heads.

"Doctor," said the bartender, a particularly flirtatious Weequay by the name of Ssenkrah. "How you doing, old buddy?"

"Quite well, my friend," said the Doctor with a smile, remembering the time he had saved Ssenkrah from thugs who were trying to beat him for credits.

"Anything to your fancy?" asked Ssenkrah with a slightly suggestive wink. "It's on the house."

"Just a nice cup of tea, if you've got it," answered the Doctor, ignoring the wink. "Sorry. I'm on some Jedi business. It's a bit wibbly-wobbly."

"No problem, Doctor," Ssenkarh said, talking as he poured hot tea into a cup and smoothly slid it across the bar to the Doctor.

"Thanks," said the Doctor as he poured the hot liquid down his eager throat, which was immediately satisfied thanks to the warm goodness that was Coruscanti tea.

_By the Force, that's good stuff_, the Doctor thought to himself. He finished off the cup, sat it down and started to examine the club for the assassin. There were still too many distractions for the Doctor to find her based on simple senses and instinct. He needed to use his eyes to detect this assassin.

"Y'wanna buy some death sticks?" asked a voice who sounded like its owner had been using too many of the blasted things. A Balosar had been sitting next to the Doctor, no doubt eyeing him up because of his Jedi robes. The Doctor didn't have time to deal with this fool, so he absent mindedly used harmless Force Persuasion on him.

"You don't want to sell me death sticks," the Doctor said, subtly waving his hand to the death sticks dealer as well. Twirling the stick around his fingers, the Balosar concurred.

"I don't wanna sell you death sticks," he repeated back to the Doctor. The Doctor decided to turn the tide of the Balosar's destiny even further. He figured the Balosar wouldn't last much longer on the mean streets of Coruscant dealing those horrid death sticks.

"You want to go home and rethink your life," the Doctor added, still scanning the bar. The Balosar put down his drink and stood up.

"I want to go home and rethink my life," he muttered as he stood. The Doctor, acting as if he had no part in the drug dealer's decision, patted him on the back.

"An excellent decision, good man!" he encouraged. The Balosar nodded, in a daze at what just happened, and walked out of the club.

Soon after the Balosar left, the Doctor became acutely aware of a malevolent presence nearing one of the three Jedi in the club. The Doctor couldn't quite tell where the presence was headed towards, but he kept his hand on his main saber just in case things got violent.

He could feel the presence edging through the crowd and towards the bar itself. It wasn't going for Anakin, then; he knew that much. The Doctor could feel the presence, as it got closer to the bar, unholster a small pistol. The presence, then, was the assassin, out to silently kill all three Jedi, starting with either the Doctor or Obi-Wan. Just to make sure, the Doctor scanned the area around Obi-Wan to see if the assassin was after him. He found nothing whose mindset matched that of the assassin, at least around, Obi-Wan, which meant only one thing.

Reacting faster than the assassin could even comprehend, the Doctor activated his main saber and swung it in a deadly green arc, neatly slicing off the assassin's pistol hand. As the pistol fell to the floor, the assassin grabbed her arm in pain, falling back onto a table. A few people looked towards the commotion, but didn't make a big scene of it. If anything, the bar fell silent in shock. Obi-Wan and Anakin made their way toward the Doctor and the assassin, ready to assist him if there was any trouble. The Doctor hastily used an old healing technique he had learned back when he had a particular fondness for scarves as Anakin eased the minds of the crowd watching them.

"Jedi business," he said authoritatively. "Go back to your drinks." The people did so, and the Doctor marveled at how even a Padawan carried power within the minds of non-Jedi. The Doctor helped the assassin to her feet and carried her out of the club and into a back alleyway to interrogate her, with Obi-Wan and Anakin following. He laid her down on the ground and used the healing technique to cover what areas he might have missed in the rush of getting her out. Once finished, he focused on getting information from her.

"Do you know who it was you were trying to kill?" he asked calmly, yet sternly.

"It was a Senator from Naboo," she answered almost immediately, eyes widening in fear of the Doctor.

"So, who hired you to do it?" questioned the Doctor further. The assassin's response to this wasn't as immediate. The Doctor could see that giving the identity of the one who sent her on this mission was a huge risk for her. She paused, no doubt thinking of a way to avoid the question.

"It was just a job," she said, with a trace of fear in her voice.

"Who hired you?" asked Anakin as gently as he could. "Tell us." The assassin looked at the Padawan, the same fear in her eyes, though not quite as concentrated as it was on the Doctor.

"TELL US NOW!" shouted Anakin. The assassin's lip quivered, trying not to break. The Doctor could see tears forming in her eyes. She was trying so hard not to tell them.

At last, she broke.

"It was a bounty hunter called-" The Doctor never learned the name. A dart had made its way past the heads of all three Jedi and into the neck of the assassin. The Doctor looked up to see who had fired the dart in time to see a mysterious figure fly away with the help of a jetpack. When he gazed back at the assassin, he found her beautiful features had begun to revert back to their original Clawdite form. Her face grew slowly more reptilian as she managed to choke out,

"_Wee shahnit...sleemo_." The assassin collapsed, and the Doctor felt a wave of sadness for her death. She had done some despicable things, presumably, and she would have continued to do more as an assassin, but that made her no less of an important life.

"What was her name?" the Doctor asked Obi-Wan and Anakin quietly. The Master and Padawan shook their heads in a way that told him they didn't have a clue. While the Doctor looked back at the assassin's body, still upset at her murder, Obi-Wan reached for the dart which was still in her neck. He carefully pulled it out and examined it.

"It's some kind of toxic dart," Obi-Wan concluded, unable to identify anything specific.

"Come on," said the Doctor. "Let's get back to the Temple."

"Yes, Doctor," said Obi-Wan and Anakin simultaneously.

The Doctor picked up the body of the Clawdite assassin and walked behind Obi-Wan and Anakin. He could feel that they both respected the Doctor for his care toward life, even that of a lowly assassin, highlighting his commitment to the way of the Jedi. As the Doctor carried the assassin's body back to the Temple to find out her name and eventually bury her, he only thought one thing.

_This bounty hunter she spoke of needs to be found and stopped. He will not take another life. Not if I can do anything about it._

* * *

**Hooray for introducing plot elements that will be used later in the story! During the course of this episode and much of the rest of the story, the Doctor will be in contact with the voice he hears in this chapter telling him to jump onto Zam Wessel's speeder. Yay plot elements! Anyway, I believe it's time for a progress report, don't you?**

**I: Finished**

**II: Finished**

**CW: Finished**

**III: In progress**

**IV: Not started**

**V: Not started**

**VI: Not started**

**I'm about two-thirds of the way done with Episode III. It should take me about a week, give or take a few days, to finish it, then I can move on to the original trilogy. Huzzah! Keep those reviews coming, and if you have any questions, feel free to ask me in a review or private message.**

**Well, that's about it for this author's note. Until the next chapter, my friends!**


	5. Missions with Doubts

Chapter Four: Missions with Doubts

The Doctor was, once again, sitting in his seat as Grand Master of the Jedi Council, amongst his colleagues and friends. It had become a rather familiar situation for the Doctor, a Council meeting with Master Obi-Wan and Padawan Anakin in the center of the circle of Jedi, discussing some extremely important and dangerous matter. It was times like this when the Doctor had a fleeting thought cross his mind;

_Why don't we ever meet just to chat? Why must we always meet over life and death matters? It's kind of a downer, really. We're all friends here! We could just get together in here, talk about the weather, reminisce on past battles! Why couldn't we-_

_Doctor? Doctor! _

For a good amount of time, Master Plo Koon had been shooting thoughts at the Doctor to try to reign his focus back in on the meeting. And after five or six minutes, Koon's increasingly loud thoughts finally reached the Doctor. The Doctor himself glanced at the Kel Dor for a moment, before he responded to him.

_Sorry, Master Koon,_ he thought. _It would just be nice to have a point in meetings where we just discuss what's going on in our lives. Don't you think so?_

_I suppose so, _Plo responded shortly, _but that's hardly relevant to the discussion at hand-to which I suggest you pay attention!_

_Of course,_ thought the Doctor as he turned his attention over to Anakin and Obi-Wan, who were speaking about what had happened last night. It seemed the Doctor had come in at the tail end of the explanation.

"And we saw a mysterious man fly away," said Obi-Wan. "I presumed that he was the killer, and I believe that both Anakin and the Doctor would agree with me." Anakin and the Doctor both nodded their heads before Anakin chimed in.

"Zam-that was the assassin's name-" the Doctor smiled at the boy for having already found out her name, "managed to curse at the killer in Huttese before she died. She said '_wee shahnit sleemo_,' which translates roughly to 'bounty hunter slimeball.' From this, we can tell that her killer was a bounty hunter."

"Do you feel it's a good idea to pursue this bounty hunter, Doctor?" asked Mace Windu, the second-in-command of the Order and essential right-hand man to the Doctor.

"It is not only for the safety of the Senator," the Doctor said, reflecting back to the murdered assassin for a brief moment, "but for others' safety as well. There's no telling who else is on this man's hit list. We must track down this bounty hunter before he claims any more lives-especially Senator Amidala's. Master Obi-Wan, that will be your task."

"You will also need to find out who he is working for," said Ki-Adi-Mundi. "I have no doubt that this bounty hunter is not the only one we must worry about. I am, however, uncertain of who could be behind it all. Find the source of the trouble, and it will be much easier to extinguish it altogether."

"Very well, Masters," Obi-Wan agreed to the given mission. "But, what about our previous task regarding Senator Amidala? She will still need protecting."

"We believe that young Skywalker is up to the task," explained the Doctor. At this, Anakin met eyes with the Doctor, slightly surprised with this news. Obi-Wan's expression also changed as he glanced at his Padawan; an expression of uncertainty and the slightest bit of concern as well. The Doctor sensed worry in Master Kenobi's mind, and decided to address that at a later time.

"What is your bidding, Masters?" asked Anakin.

"Anakin, you will escort the Senator back to her home planet of Naboo," instructed Mace. "Don't use registered transport. Travel only as refugees. That way, any potential killers will have a hard time spotting her."

"Senator Amidala is leading the opposition against the Military Creation Act," said Anakin. "It will be difficult to get her to leave Coruscant."

"She must respect our judgement until the killer is caught," countered Mace. "There is no arguing around the matter for her."

"You might be able to go to Chancellor Palpatine and ask him to speak with Senator Amidala," offered the Doctor. "She might refuse the Council for a time, but she won't refuse an order from the leader of the Republic."

"Thank you, Masters," said Anakin, bowing with Obi-Wan in their general direction. "And thank you, Doctor."

The Jedi duo left the Council chamber, allowing the Council members to discuss matters in more detail.

"Doctor, while the boy is showing promising progress in his training," Ki-Adi-Mundi began, once again acting as the more practical thinker of the Council, "do you really think it's wise to trust him with the life and protection of such an important-and sought after-figure as the Senator?"

"I do, Master Mundi," said the Doctor. "Anakin is capable enough to handle this on his own. He is simply protecting the Senator, and nobody would dare attack her on her own homeworld anyway."

"I sense Master Obi-Wan's discomfort with his Padawan taking on this mission," Adi Gallia pointed out.

"I sensed it as well," agreed Shaak Ti. "He does not feel that the boy is ready."

"If Master Obi-Wan is preoccupied with the worries of Anakin's mission," added Eeth Koth, "he will not be able to focus on his own task of finding this bounty hunter."

"I will talk with him," said the Doctor. "But the question remains: do you all believe he can do it? Do you all think Anakin is really up to the task?"

While the Doctor had anticipated immediate disapproval from the Council, they only exchanged glances with one another, some in uncertainty and some in acceptance.

"Some of you may not believe he's the Chosen One," continued the Doctor. "And that's okay. But you can't deny the fact that he is a very powerful Jedi, and he is ready for a simple mission of protection on his own. So what say you, fellow Masters?"

At this, the other eleven Council members nodded their heads, though some did so reluctantly. The Doctor smiled at all of them and rose from his chair.

"Then I suppose this meeting is adjourned," he said with a sense of finality. "Thank you, Councilmen."

The Council then all rose from their seats like the Doctor and left the Council chamber. Plo Koon and Saesee Tiin joined the Doctor as he walked toward the elevator leading down to the main area of the Temple. Master Tiin, of course, was silent on their journey, leaving the Doctor and Master Koon to talk with each other.

"Your distraction during the meeting was evident, Doctor," said Plo. "We all sensed it." Saesee nodded his head in agreement. "While I agree with your sentiment about the reasons for meetings, we must maintain focus on the here and now, where it belongs."

"You sound just like Master Qui-Gon," said the Doctor. "You learned a bit from him, didn't you?" At the mention of their fallen friend, Plo fell silent and faced forward.

"We all learned something from him," the Doctor said, more to himself than to his colleagues.

Saesee patted the Doctor's shoulder in consolation. He of all people knew what it was like to lose a good friend. His Master, Omo Bouri, had died almost twenty years ago, which was especially hard for the Iktotchi. He had spent much of his time trying to contact Bouri through the Force, but to no avail. It was with the help of the Doctor that he finally got over the death of his Master, but that didn't stop him from remembering him from time to time.

_It's okay to remember, Doctor_, Saesee thought to the Gallifreyan.

_Thanks, Master Tiin_, thought the Doctor with a smile. Even as he communicated with Masters Koon and Tiin, the Doctor remembered the War that had torn Gallifrey apart. The War that lasted for all of Time.

The Doctor brushed away images of burning buildings and dead bodies littering the ground as he, Plo, and Saesee exited the elevator leading into the main chamber of the Jedi Temple. Here, the Doctor could see almost four hundred Jedi roaming around, completing their daily routines. He saw Luminara Unduli and Barriss Offee walking together, going off to meditate, most likely, or practice their saber cadences. He saw Aayla Secura, a Twi'lek Knight and former apprentice to Quinlan Vos, speaking with Kit Fisto. He sensed the respect Secura had for the Nautolan and how it was slightly different than the respect the Doctor had for him. The Doctor thought it was interesting, but he paid little attention to it otherwise.

All through the Temple, the Jedi were peacefully going off to train or to meditate or to do whatever they happened to want to do. The Doctor looked at them all and felt sad. He got the sudden feeling that this would be the last time he saw peace like this for a while. He wasn't quite sure why, but it bothered him nonetheless. He stopped walking alongside his friends and simply stood in the middle of the Temple, taking in the environment that suddenly became so serene in his eyes. Just in case his feelings were correct, he wanted to take in his surroundings while he had the chance.

"Is something wrong, Doctor?" Plo asked, a few steps ahead of the Doctor.

"No, Master Koon," said the Doctor quietly. "Nothing's wrong. Go on without me." Even if his friends could sense something troubling his mind, the Doctor resisted admitting anything. The last thing he wanted to do was to raise alarm, especially within the Council. Plo nodded his head, and he and Saesee continued towards the direction of the Room of a Thousand Fountains, while the Doctor set off in search of Obi-Wan. The Doctor figured before Obi-Wan went on his own mission, he needed to be reassured that his Padawan was more than ready to take on the task of protecting and escorting the Senator back to Naboo. As he trekked through the Temple's many corridors, he eventually found Obi-Wan walking alongside Master Windu. It appeared that Mace had gotten the same sense from Obi-Wan in the meeting as well and wanted to address it. The Doctor ran down the hall to catch up with the two Jedi.

"Hello, Doctor," said Obi-Wan as the Doctor joined him and Mace in their conversation.

"Hello there, Obi-Wan. And to you too, Macey boy," the Doctor responded, not even winded from his brisk jog. Mace grimaced at the nickname, and Obi-Wan had the courtesy not to laugh out loud.

"I was just speaking with Obi-Wan about Anakin and his upcoming task, Doctor," Mace informed the Doctor, who had fallen into step with them as they continued walking down the hallway.

"I am concerned for him," Obi-Wan added. "I believe he is not ready to be given this assignment, especially on his own."

"The Council is confident in its decision, Master Obi-Wan," said the Doctor.

"The boy has exceptional skills, particularly for a Padawan learner," stated Mace.

"That is true, Master, but that's just it: he is still a Padawan _learner_," said Obi-Wan. "I still have much to teach him, and yet, his abilities have made him...well...arrogant."

"Yes," said the Doctor. "But that's a flaw more and more common among Jedi. They're too sure of themselves. Even some of the older, more experienced Jedi."

"Your Padawan has the destiny of the Chosen One ahead of him," said Mace. "And he's young. He's allowed to be at least a bit arrogant. As long as it doesn't carry into Knighthood."

"And you mustn't forget, Obi-Wan," the Doctor lightheartedly added, "that you were also a bull-headed Padawan at one point in time."

Obi-Wan smiled at the Doctor when he recalled his past as a hard-headed Padawan to Qui-Gon Jinn.

"I suppose he must grow up sometime," he said. "And he will eventually."

"I can assure you that if you put the littlest bit of faith in him in this task," the Doctor said, patting Obi-Wan on the back, "he will not only prove your faith well placed, but he will also put more faith in your teachings."

"I hope so, Doctor," said Obi-Wan. "For the sake of the Order."

* * *

**Hello again! I must say that I do love foreshadowing. It's present a lot in this chapter, and I think it's done pretty well here.**

**User StoriesUnleashed has questions about the story, and here I am to answer them!**

**1. Do the Jedi know about the Doctor's ability to regenerate? Most of them do. Some younger Jedi don't know, but they learn about it eventually. However, it must be noted that very few people outside of the Order know about it. Most people assume that each incarnation of the Doctor is a separate person, and in many ways, he is, but he isn't at the same time.**

**2. Will the Doctor have any droid friends of his own? I assume this question comes from the Doctor's interactions with R2-D2. Or maybe not. In any case, yes. The Doctor does get his own astromech droid during the Clone Wars. The droid is merely referenced in the tail end of the Clone Wars, but it's more present in Revenge of the Sith.**

**3. How did the Doctor become a Jedi? Like most other Jedi, he was identified at an early age and brought to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant to begin training. It was his power that tipped the Jedi off to his existence. Gallifrey isn't in the Republic, and I say this later on in the story. Unlike with the case of Anakin Skywalker, however, the Jedi weren't having their vision clouded by the Dark Side, so they were able to see the Doctor and sense his power.**

**4. How did he leave Gallifrey? A Jedi Recruiter came and picked him up from Gallifrey, most likely. Not really much else to say after that.**

**I hope I answered your questions adequately, StoriesUnleashed! If anybody else has any other questions, feel free to ask them in a private message or a review.**

**Now, I live in America, and today is our Memorial Day, where we honor veterans who have served our country, especially those who have fallen in the line of duty. This is an especially important day for me, as three members of my family have served in various branches of the US military. Today, I'd like to thank those men and women who continue to serve our country today and honor those who have died in the line of duty. May you continue to serve your country to the best of your ability, brave souls, and thank you.**

**On that note, time to end this author's note. Until the next chapter, my friends!**


	6. Mixed Senses

Chapter Five: Mixed Senses

A few days had passed for the Jedi Order. Anakin had left Coruscant with Padme, and they were now headed for Naboo, where she would be secure within the space of her homeworld. Obi-Wan had also begun his own mission of tracking down the mysterious bounty hunter who had killed Zam the assassin, though he was having a more difficult time with it.

The Doctor was currently attending a class of Younglings, the Bear Clan, and teaching them about using the Force. The Younglings had helmets over their heads that prevented them from seeing. They were to deflect the laser bolts fired at them from small training probes. The bolts were harmless, of course, but each Youngling tried their best to deflect them and show their prowess to the Doctor, who was giving them encouragement and a lesson at the same time.

"Reach out, Younglings," he said. "Sense the Force. Use your senses and feel the Force around you. Feel it flowing through you like a river. Hear it sing its will to you. Can you hear the river's song?"

All the while, the Younglings deflected the small laser bolts with pinpoint accuracy, while the Doctor was sitting cross-legged on the ground, offering them his words of wisdom. The Younglings were always fond of the Doctor, for his quirksome teachings and his constant encouragement to them. And the Doctor was equally fond of the Younglings. The eagerness and open minded nature of the children always marveled the Doctor. Even when a child failed to deflect a laser bolt every so often, they would simply brush it off and keep trying.

"What is the river's song saying, Doctor?" asked Bobby, one of the human Younglings. The Doctor smirked at the boy knowingly and wittingly replied,

"It's saying for you to quit peeking out from your helmet, Bobby." The children giggled at the boy, caught red handed in his harmless cheating. Quietly, he pulled down his helmet as the rest of the children had, and continued to practice.

"Now, remember, Younglings, your eyes are a powerful tool, but they can deceive you," said the Doctor. "Young Bobby didn't know that, but that's okay. Now is as good a time as any to learn that the Force is your infinite ally, and it will show you the truth that your eyes might cloud from you." Another Youngling, a small Whipid by the name of Jemba, lifted his helmet for a moment and looked puzzled at the Doctor.

"You mean like how our eyes see you as a human," he asked, "but you're really a Gayl...a Gulli..." The children began to softly giggle again at Jemba's trouble at pronouncing the Doctor's species name.

"Now, children, let's not make fun," said the Doctor kindly. "Jemba, I believe the word you're looking for is Gallifreyan. And it's not quite like that. Gallifreyans are one of the oldest species in the universe. Now, it's rumored that they helped create some of the life we see now, like humans. But it's more likely that we Gallifreyans were made as a sort of advanced human alongside the humans themselves. That's probably why we look the way we do, although sometimes, Gallifreyans can look like other things, too."

"Like what?" Jemba asked, as he and a few other children stopped for a moment to listen to the Doctor, all of a sudden intrigued with the Gallifreyans. The children always were especially attentive when the Doctor spoke of his home planet and his people, which to the Younglings seemed like a fairytale.

"Anything in the universe. Togrutas, Tholothians, Bith, Zabrak, Devaronians, humans, and Whipids," he said, looking to Jemba, whose eyes widened to twice their size at the prospect of possibly meeting a Gallifreyan who looked like his people. The Doctor smiled sadly at Jemba, for he knew that the young Whipid would never get to see another Gallifreyan.

"Why do you look so sad, Doctor?" asked Mari Amithest, a bright young human with a mind like few of her peers.

"My people are gone, children," said the Doctor sadly. At this, the rest of the children stopped practicing and lifted their helmets. All of them had their eyes fixated on the Doctor, sitting before them on their level. "I'm the only one left, to my knowledge." And then the Younglings did something that the Doctor would never forget so long as he lived.

They dropped their helmets and training lightsabers to the ground, one by one, and they walked over to the Doctor and hugged him.

The Doctor smiled at the unexpected affection from the children, and hugged them all back, both of his hearts full at their act of kindness. It was little moments like this that reminded the Doctor that there was still plenty of hope in the galaxy. But, despite their kindness, he was still their teacher. And it was after a few seconds of their embrace that the Doctor realized how terribly off track they were from their lessons.

"But, do you all know something, Younglings?" the Doctor said, with a grin playing on his face. "There may be only one of me, but there are fourteen of you fantastic children, who _still_ need to practice using the Force!" A groan of discontent arose from the kids.

"But, Dooooooctooooor!" they grumbled, seeing how their story time had come to an end.

"Now, now, children. The Force must be understood at its basic level before more advanced things can be learned," the Doctor explained. "The basics come at your age. Now, back to training." The Younglings then went back to their places around the room, put their helmets back on and continued to practice. The Doctor remained sitting, giving little bits of wisdom and encouragement as they continued.

"Sense the Force around you, Younglings," said the Doctor. "You must use your feelings." It was at this point in time that the Doctor noticed a familiar figure approach the training room. As Obi-Wan Kenobi walked into the room, the Doctor called for the Younglings' attention.

"Younglings," he called to them as they deactivated their training sabers lifted up their helmets once more. "We've got a visitor. Well, don't be shy. Say 'hello' to him."

"Hello, Master Obi-Wan," the children said in timid unison.

"Hello," said Obi-Wan kindly, before turning to the Doctor. "Forgive me for the interruption, Doctor. I don't mean to be a disturbance."

"No disturbance at all," said the Doctor, standing up. "How can I help?"

"I'm looking for a planet," Obi-Wan began to explain to the Doctor. "An old friend has described it to me, and I trust his knowledge on matters such as this, but the Archive maps show nothing where the planet should be located."

"Hmm," mused the Doctor to the Younglings. "It seems our good friend Master Obi-Wan has misplaced a planet. Now, that is embarrassing." The Younglings started to giggle at Obi-Wan, who also smirked at the nature of embarrassment that came with not being able to find a planet. As the giggling settled down, the Doctor turned to one of the more quiet Younglings, a human boy named Liam.

"Liam, would you mind lowering the shades for us?" the Doctor politely asked the boy. Liam did so, and Obi-Wan pulled out a small marble from his robes. "Gather around the galactic map, Younglings, and we might be able to find Obi-Wan's lost planet."

A small pillar sprung from the ground in the center of the room. Obi-Wan placed the marble on top of the pillar, and out sprung a rough map of the galaxy, complete with the galactic center as well as surrounding places like the Rishi Maze. As the children stared up into the map of the galaxy in curiosity and wonder, Obi-Wan meandered over to the end of the room.

"It ought to be...here," he said, pointing at a blank void between a few stars and planets on the map, at a point beyond the Rishi Maze. "But for some reason, it isn't. There is a gravitational pull on the surrounding area, but the system that should be there just isn't."

"Hmmm..." the Doctor mused once again. "The silhouette of gravity remains, but the star and its planets have all disappeared. How is this possible?" The Doctor had already figured out the answer, but he wanted to see if the Younglings could understand what was going on. "Thoughts? Anyone. Go on, speak up," The Doctor urged the Younglings.

"Doctor?" offered Bobby. The Doctor turned to the boy and awaited his answer. "Someone might have erased it from the Archive memory." The Doctor grinned at the boy, appreciative of his answer.

"The mind of a child is truly wonderful," the Doctor said, grin still evident on his face. "He's right. Somebody erased that system from the Archive memory banks. So, if our friend Master Obi-Wan travels to the center of the gravitational pull, what will he find?"

"His missing planet!" an enthusiastic Jemba exclaimed, proud to have figured out a piece of the puzzle.

"Very good, Jemba!" exclaimed the Doctor. As the children began to quietly chatter amongst themselves about Obi-Wan's mysterious planet, the Doctor began to walk Obi-Wan out in order to speak with him on a more complex level.

"Young Bobby's conclusion is the only possible answer," said the Doctor.

"But Doctor, who could have emptied Archive information?" asked Obi-Wan. "I thought it was impossible to do such a thing."

"Not impossible, Obi-Wan, but difficult nonetheless," explained the Doctor. "If and only if you're a Jedi, deleting Archive data becomes easier. Nobody's attempted it in the time that I've been around, or so I thought. If someone's managed to delete an entire system from Archive memory, this puzzle has just gotten more dangerous than ever before."

"Well, we know now that it was a Jedi who erased those files," said Obi-Wan. "But who? And why?"

"Those questions are harder to answer, I think," the Doctor cryptically answered. "I'll meditate on this matter at a later time."

"I'll return to my task, then," said Obi-Wan. "Thank you, Doctor."

With that, Obi-Wan bowed to the Doctor and left the room. The Doctor himself was still slightly baffled with this strange discovery and the peculiar idea of a Jedi tampering with Archive files and information. He dismissed the Younglings and went off to his chamber to meditate.

Before he could reach his destination, he heard a familiar feminine voice behind him.

"Doctor," came the voice of Stass Allie. The Doctor turned in his tracks and saw his friend jogging excitedly towards him.

"Hello, Stass!" exclaimed the Doctor. "How are you doing?"

"I'm alright," said Stass. As she responded, The Doctor noticed that Stass's purple eyes betrayed a sense of nervousness. As she continued to speak, they glanced downward from time to time. "So, I know you are busy, with your Grand Master obligations and all, but I was wondering if...well, perhaps you would...I mean, if you had the time to-"

"Yes, Stass?" the Doctor asked.

"Wouldyouliketojoinmeforaquickbitetoeat?" Stass asked quite rapidly. The Doctor arched an eyebrow in confusion at Stass's request.

"Sorry, uh, I didn't quite catch that," the Doctor said. "Could you perhaps run that by me again-a bit slower this time?" Stass took a deep breath and spoke again, forcibly slower.

"Would you like to join me f-for a quick bite to eat?" she asked. At this, the Doctor smiled, but was unsure of why Stass was so nervous to ask him out. At any rate, he gladly accepted.

"Well, in that case, I suggest Dexter's Diner," the Doctor proposed. "Master Obi-Wan has recommended the place to me many times before, but I have never found the time to go there."

"Oh, well, do you have time now? I know you're busy almost all the time..." Stass trailed off, preparing for disappointment. The Doctor, interrupting Stass's thoughts, threw an arm around her shoulders and proclaimed,

"Nonsense! I have all the time in the galaxy." As she began to hopelessly radiate happiness at this statement, the Doctor then led Stass out of the Temple.

Dexter's Diner was a short walking distance from the Jedi Temple, located in CoCo Town. It was owned by a portly Besalisk named Dexter Jettster, who was also a good friend of Obi-Wan's. It was only a short amount of time and small talk before the Doctor and Stass Allie arrived at the diner. A droid waitress wheeled up to the two and spoke in her tinny voice,

"How ya doin', hons?"

"Good, thanks," said the Doctor. The droid called to Dexter in the kitchen.

"Couple more Jedi to see ya, hon!"

"Well, they just keep comin', don't they?" a low, jolly voice rumbled from the kitchen. "Sit 'em down, and let me know what they want! Only the finest for the Jedi!"

"Right over here, hons!" the droid directed Stass and the Doctor to a booth and sat them down. Stass looked around the quaint, little diner with an uncontrollable grin on her face. The Doctor, however, had one thing on his mind at the moment: food. His face was buried in the menu of odd and peculiar dishes.

"Hmm, I don't know, the Shaak pot roast sounds pretty good," said the Doctor. "I think I'll have two of those. What do you think, Stass?"

"Uh, I'm not sure," Stass said uncertainly. "What's in it?"

"Well, the menu here says 'A favorite on Naboo and throughout the Chommell sector, slow-cooked in our gamma flux broiler with space-carrots, Ojomian onions, Anzati snot garlic, and Deltron spice wine.' Sounds delicious, don't ya think?" the Doctor asked. Stass gave a blank expression, after hearing the whirlwind of ingredients listed rapidly from the Doctor. But, her surprise was then replaced by a mischievous grin as she turned her head to the waitress, waiting to take their order.

"I'll have three!" she said enthusiastically, and then added, "And extra snot garlic on all three, if you don't mind."

"Boy, you are brave!" the waitress commented before writing down their order of five pot roasts and wheeling away.

"Three orders of the Shaak pot roast with _extra_ Anzati snot garlic," the Doctor repeated Stass's order to himself, all the while observing Stass's devilish grin. "I like the way you think, Stass Allie!" he added, adopting a similar grin on his face. To this compliment, Stass attempted to hide her sheer giddiness and slyly said,

"Well, it's not too often that a Jedi Knight can top THE Grand Master, is it?"

"Not at all," said the Doctor.

"So," said Stass nonchalantly, "what trouble has the Doctor gotten himself into lately?"

"What makes you think I always get into trouble?" asked the Doctor defensively.

"Please," countered Stass. "You're the Doctor. You're always in trouble." The Doctor, jokingly offended, pointed accusingly at Stass Allie, who was thoroughly enjoying her lighthearted insults at the Doctor's expense.

"I'll have you know, little Miss Stass," the Doctor retorted, "that I...am actually in a spot of trouble. Not too big, but still...you know, troublesome." At this, a bit of genuine concern came across in Stass's vivid purple eyes.

"What kind of trouble, Doctor?" she questioned.

"Oh, you know, a little bit of this, a little bit of that, a little bit of by the Force, what have I gotten myself into," said the Doctor. "Nothing too bad."

"It sure sounds a bit more than 'nothing too bad,'" said Stass, arching an eyebrow in the same fashion as the Doctor had before.

"Nothing the Grand Master can't handle," said the Doctor, smirking a bit in Stass's direction. Stass, however, brushed aside the lighthearted smirk, and genuinely smiled at the Doctor.

"Even the grandest of Grand Masters needs a companion for help every now and again," she said.

"Is that an offer, Stass?" asked the Doctor. Stass blinked a few times, somewhat stunned.

"You mean, you'd actually...want me? As a companion, I mean?" she asked, with a few traces of nervousness as she had before. And as the Doctor was about to give his answer...BAM! The waitress plopped all five heaping plates of pot roast onto the table, breaking the increasingly sentimental moment.

"Here ya are, hons!" she said, then speeding away at the stench of the extra snot garlic.

Stass's little nose crinkled a bit at the stench, but she nevertheless dug into her food and the Doctor also began scarfing down his own plates.

After a solid fifteen minutes, the Doctor had completely cleaned his plates off and leaned back in his booth, not stuffed, but very satisfied with the amount that he had just finished. As he looked across the booth at Stass, he noticed that she was nonchalantly sitting back with her hands behind her head and a slightly smug look on her face. Somewhat befuddled, the Doctor asked his friend,

"When did you finish your pot roasts, Stass?"

"Oh, about five minutes ago," she replied, suppressing a laugh at the Doctor's shocked expression.

"What?" the Doctor asked, confused.

"Yeah. I finished before you. Just take that in for a moment, Doctor," she said, topped with a complacent grin.

"Pride is a weakness, young Stass," said the Doctor. Almost immediately, Stass removed her hands from behind her head and lowered them in her lap.

"Sorry, Doctor," she said apologetically. The Doctor smiled at her, the young Tholothian Jedi, and time seemed to slow down for him as he took her appearance in.

She was a tall woman, almost as tall as he was. He had noticed that when she became a Knight. Her chocolate-brown skin seemed to radiate a little from the light of the sun. Her purple eyes portrayed innocence and warmth, and they reflected her own personality: kind, friendly, and always ready to lend a helping hand. These were traits that the Doctor admired in anyone, but the admiration seemed amplified when referring to Stass. And her smile. Her smile was the cutest little thing. The Doctor absolutely loved to make her smile, and would give anything to see it all the time.

_Stop it, Doctor,_ he thought to himself. _Attachment is forbidden. You know that._

It was Stass's voice that jerked him out of his deep train of thought.

"Doctor who?" she asked him.

"I'm sorry, what?" he asked back, still recovering from his deep thoughts.

"Your name. The Doctor," she explained. "What does it mean? Doctor who?"

"Never cruel or cowardly. Never give up. Never give in," said the Doctor quietly. "That's my promise. The promise I made when I took the name of the Doctor."

"But what is your real name?" young Stass asked tentatively.

"That doesn't matter," the Doctor answered shortly. Stass nodded, and after a few seconds of silence, asked one more question.

"Who did you make that promise to, Doctor? When you took on that name. Who did you promise all of that to?" The Doctor looked into Stass's eyes-those beautiful, radiant, purple eyes-and said,

"Everybody."

After they had walked back to the Temple, Stass and the Doctor parted ways and the Doctor remembered his original task earlier that day: meditation. He made his way to one of the Temple's many meditation chambers, sat cross legged on a small cushioned stool and began to relax. He felt his mind clear itself of any and all distractions, focusing solely on centering himself in the Force. Some Jedi often called the process 'sleep,' as the Doctor would often meditate for hours on end in a dream-like state. It was simply the Gallifreyan form of meditation, and it served as an effective way to focus on many thoughts and problems at once.

In this particular instance of meditation, the Doctor soon encountered a familiar voice he could have sworn he had heard before.

_Hello, old friend_, it said to him. The Doctor was alarmed for a moment before he responded.

_How did you manage to get into my thoughts?_ he asked the voice.

_You don't remember me?_ asked the voice back. _I helped you to find the assassin._ The Doctor searched his memory and he recalled a voice telling him to jump from Anakin and Obi-Wan's commandeered speeder. He also recalled having fallen right onto Zam's speeder shortly after.

_Ohhhh, it's you,_ he said. _Hello._

_Hello again,_ said the voice.

_Not to be rude or anything, but what exactly are you doing inside my head?_

_I'm here to teach you about the Force._

_I already know about the Force, Mr. Voice._

_This is true. But I am here to teach you how to transcend death using the Force._

_I don't really need that, either. I am a Gallifreyan after all._

_I know about your...unique ability. The Gallifreyans can transcend death for a time. But even they pass on eventually. There are others who don't have that ability. Through my teachings, you can teach them._

_Alright, but I've got a few questions for you, then. How do you know how to do this, who are these select people that I should teach, and who are you?_

_All of the answers shall come to pass in time, Doctor. For now, we must begin your training. Transcending death and becoming a Force Spirit is difficult and requires much instruction._

_Very well. Teach on, then, Mr. Voice._

_As you wish, Doctor. Let us begin._

* * *

**Woot! MOAR CHAPTERS! Anyway, this chapter introduces a character who will be very important later on in the story. Mr. Voice, as he will be called in later chapters, is going to teach the Doctor about immortality. If you know your prequel trilogy, you can probably guess Mr. Voice's true identity, in which case I applaud you.**

**Moving right along. User crod42 wants to know if Anakin will still turn to the Dark Side in this story. The answer, unfortunately, is yes. There are plot points of Star Wars that the Doctor will have his hand in, but Anakin's descent into the Dark Side is not one of them. He'll still turn, and it will still be totally sad and such.**

**Oh, hey, look! A progress report!**

**I: Finished**

**II: Finished**

**CW: Finished**

**III: Finished**

**IV: In progress**

**V: Not started**

**VI: Not started**

**That's right, folks! I've crossed over from the prequels into the original trilogy! This is totally exciting because things happen in Episode IV that sort of, kind of, maybe, definitely deviate from the original film. Namely, the Doctor saves someone who may or may not have been killed in the original events of ANH. Ooooooh...mystery...Who could it be? Who's the Doctor going to save? Leave a guess in a review or PM if you like.**

**Well, that about wraps it up for this author's note. Until the next chapter, my friends!**


	7. Communications

Chapter Six: Communications

The Doctor's lessons with 'Mr. Voice,' as he affectionately referred to him, continued forthwith. Together, they spoke of the intricacies of the Force, and how the ability to transcend death was not a myth, but a reality.

_The ability to defy oblivion can be achieved, Doctor, _Mr. Voice explained, _but only for oneself. It was accomplished by a Shaman of the Whills, and it is a state acquired by compassion, not greed._

_The Whills? _asked the Doctor curiously. _What are they?_

_They are an ancient order, much like the Jedi, _said Mr. Voice. _But they are much older and much more deeply connected to the Force. One of their Shamans managed to figure out the secret to immortality some time ago. It is the will of the Force that the Jedi also learn of the secret, Doctor, starting with you._

_So, who are _you_? A Jedi? _the Doctor quickly extrapolated.

_I am a manifestation of the Force, _said Mr. Voice quickly. _Now, let us continue._

For hours on end, the Doctor and Mr. Voice spoke of the compassion required to cheat death, and how the Sith, in their infinite goal of immortality by way of greed, would never actually achieve it.

_So, who can achieve it? _asked the Doctor.

_Only the absolute most compassionate of beings can achieve immortality, Doctor, _said Mr. Voice. _It must be a Jedi._

_Like me?_

_Like you, when the time comes._

_I don't think I'll be needing it anytime soon, Mr. Voice._

Mr. Voice chuckled at his nickname before speaking again.

_While that may be true, Doctor, _he said. _Even the mightiest of lords must succumb to the effects of time._

_Who else? _asked the Doctor, trying to break away from the reality of his inevitable death.

_Well, who can you think of, Doctor, who would deserve to live forever in your mind?_

_I don't know. There are so many Jedi deserving of it._

_Select one. The teaching, I assume, will spread faster with two masters of immortality as opposed to one. I don't know if the will of the Living Force has teaching the entire Order in mind, but we'll see if it has who you select in mind._

The Doctor wracked his brain for a while as to which Jedi he should select. There was Stass, of course. Eventually, he would teach her, but not, perhaps, now. Maybe after the imminent conflict has abated would he teach her. No, he needed someone who could master quickly. That essentially narrowed it down to the Council. Who among them would be taught about immortality alongside the Doctor? The Doctor thought and thought and thought until he found the answer.

Mace.

Of course. Mace. It had to be him. He had contributed a lot to the Jedi Order. He created his own form of lightsaber combat that only he could use. The Doctor respected him completely for that. Mace had also learned Shatterpoint alongside the Doctor. Why shouldn't he get the chance to learn the secret to immortality with him as well?

From his private quarters, he telepathically nudged Mace Windu, who was a fair distance away from the Doctor, and told him to report to him at once. He said that he had something very important to talk to him about. Mace was, at first, confused, but he nevertheless obliged and made his way to the Doctor's quarters.

While the Doctor waited for Mace, he decided to keep himself occupied. He did this, of course, by solving complex puzzles and playing difficult holoboard games in his head. For some reason, he was thinking of Stass Allie in the back of his mind. He just couldn't shake her from his head. She was a constant, lingering presence, and the Doctor found it nice to think that she had a chance to stay that way for a long time. But, he had to teach Mace first. The Doctor had a feeling that Mace would understand it more quickly anyway.

At last, Mace Windu opened the door to the Doctor's quarters, walked inside, and sat down on a small chair opposite the Doctor. The Doctor kept his meditation pose, even as Mace spoke to him.

"You called, Doctor?" he asked politely.

"Yes," said the Doctor. "Hello, Macey boy. I've got something to show you. I've been taking...some lessons, if you will. And I thought you might want to learn with me."

"Of course, Doctor," said Mace. "What concept are you learning now?"

"The deepest intricacies of the Force," replied the Doctor mysteriously. Mace gave off an impression of confusion, but nevertheless adopted a meditation stance similar to the Doctor's.

Just as they were about to immerse themselves in the depths of the Force, a call came in. The beeping rang throughout the room, and the Doctor instantly lost all of his concentration. Mace did as well as the Doctor's personal holographic projector rose from the floor. The Doctor realized that this call was being made on a secure channel, far from the peering eyes of anyone who would have tried to intercept the communication.

The Doctor let the call come through, and a tiny holographic representation of Obi-Wan Kenobi appeared on the projector. It appeared, from the loud way Obi-Wan began to speak, that he was somewhere where it was heavily raining.

"Doctor!" Obi-Wan loudly said over the storm. "I have successfully made contact with the Prime Minister of Kamino!" The Doctor guessed that Kamino was his missing planet. From the sounds of the storm, it probably should have stayed that way. The Doctor wondered how anyone would want to live through storming like that, as it looked pretty heavy.

"It appears that they are using a bounty hunter known as Jango Fett to create a clone army," Obi-Wan continued. "And I have a very strong feeling that this bounty hunter is the one we are looking for. The one responsible for sending the assassin after Senator Amidala." The Doctor's memories rushed back to him as he remembered the grueling chase through Coruscant. Then, the Doctor had another thought. Mace apparently had the same thought, for he posed a question to Obi-Wan.

"Do you think the cloners are involved in the plot to assassinate the Senator?" he asked.

"I don't think so, Master Windu," answered Obi-Wan. "There appears to be no motive."

"Are you absolutely sure, Obi-Wan?" asked the Doctor. "You shouldn't assume anything if you want to figure out who's really behind all of this."

"Yes, Doctor," said Obi-Wan. "They appear to be very disconnected with galactic affairs. I doubt they even know who Padme Amidala is." Behind Obi-Wan's voice, the Doctor could sense tension, worry, and anxiousness. Something he had learned from the Kaminoan Prime Minister bothered him immensely.

"What other news do you have?" the Doctor questioned gently.

"Prime Minister Lama Su told me that Master Sifo-Dyas placed the order for a clone army at the request of the Senate almost ten years ago," said Obi-Wan.

Sifo-Dyas. Now, there was a name the Doctor had not heard in a very long time. He was killed by an unknown assailant not long after Qui-Gon Jinn was murdered by Darth Maul. The circumstances surrounding Sifo-Dyas's death are mysterious at best. The added news that he had reportedly ordered a clone army that the Jedi hadn't known about at all added fuel to this troublesome fire. The Doctor glanced at Mace, and he sensed that he was feeling the same apprehension.

"I was under the impression he was killed before that," continued Obi-Wan. "Did the Council ever authorize the creation of this clone army?"

"No," Mace immediately answered. "If Master Sifo-Dyas indeed placed the order, he did not have the permission of the Council."

"Apprehend Jango Fett," ordered the Doctor. "Bring him to us, and we'll question him."

"Yes, Doctor," said Obi-Wan. "I will report back when I have him."

With that, Obi-Wan's hologram disappeared as he went off to capture Jango Fett. The Doctor sighed, rubbing his head in thought.

"We are blind," he said slowly, "if we couldn't even see the creation of this army. And it has been in the works for a decade!" Mace sighed as well and lowered his head. He was very troubled from the look on his face.

"Perhaps it is time," Mace replied just as slowly, "that we inform the Senate that our ability to use the Force is nearly diminished."

"We can't do that, Master Windu," said the Doctor. "The only person who probably knows that we are weakened is the Dark Lord of the Sith. If the Senate were to find out about our weakness, the number of adversaries we have will only multiply." To this, Mace nodded with a few traces of worry still left on his face.

"Doctor, I am beginning to fear for the fate of the Jedi," Mace confessed. "You are the one who seems to be the most centered with the Force out of all of us...even if your ways are slightly unorthodox." The Doctor let a small grin play on his face in response to his friend's lighthearted jab at his own expense. Mace smirked back, then continued.

"What do you believe is to become of the Jedi, once all is said and done? What can we do to prevent anything drastic from happening?" he asked. The Doctor rubbed his forehead in thought. He, along with Plo Koon and Saesee Tiin, had tried several more times to sense the future, to at least get a glimpse of what would happen to the Jedi. Still, they had come up with nothing. Not even an inkling of the future. The Doctor made a mental note to ask Mr. Voice about this matter later.

"I don't know," he said finally. "The Dark Side clouds too much of our perception. I fear that we won't be able to see anything coming at this rate. Let's, for now, hope that the war-because it's definitely going to happen-doesn't last too long."

"Do you suppose these 'lessons in the Force' that you have been taking could possibly help in any way?" Mace asked, clearly looking for some way to avoid anything else drastic, other than the impending war.

"I believe so," said the Doctor.

The Doctor was once again meditating and communicating with Mr. Voice. He did not invite Mace back for another lesson. He figured the Korun had a lot on his mind, especially after the revelations about Master Sifo-Dyas that Obi-Wan had brought him a few days previously. The Doctor also got the feeling that the Force did not want him to learn about transcendance, for some odd reason.

Regardless, Mr. Voice continued on with the lessons.

_You must achieve clarity and focus_, said Mr. Voice. _It will help you in your quest for compassion._

_What about the war? _asked the Doctor. _Will that have an effect on my compassion?_

_All conflict does, in one way or another,_ answered Mr. Voice. _That is why you must have total focus on achieving compassion. The coming war will prove to be the greatest test for the Jedi, I feel. The Force is not giving me any specifics, but the Jedi will be tested in the most extreme way possible._

_How so? _asked the Doctor.

_I'm not sure_, answered Mr. Voice. _But now is a good time to demonstrate focus, Doctor._

_Right you are, Mr. Voice._

_You seem insistent on referring to me as 'Mr. Voice,' Doctor_, said Mr. Voice with an invisible smirk.

_Well, you never did tell me what your real name was, if you even have one,_ answered the Doctor cheekily. _Why don't you tell me?_

_As I said, Doctor, the answer to that will reveal itself in time_, retorted Mr. Voice. _For now, I..._ Mr. Voice stopped, trailing off, as if he were sensing something.

_Mr. Voice?_ asked the Doctor. _What is it?_

_I sense something...awful, _answered Mr. Voice. _Can't you?_

The Doctor sensed it almost immediately after Mr. Voice brought it up. He could sense Anakin Skywalker, but he wasn't on Naboo with Padme. He was on his home planet of Tatooine. Padme was on the planet as well, but not with Anakin. He was alone, and he was holding someone. A dead body.

It was his mother.

The Doctor felt her pain and her suffering, and he could sense that she had died only moments ago. Anakin himself went from mournful to angry in a matter of moments, and the Doctor felt a white-hot sensation surround the young Padawan. Anakin ignited his lightsaber and turned on the tribe of Sand People that had killed his mother. The Doctor tried to call to him, but he wouldn't listen. One by one, Anakin killed them until the Doctor couldn't watch anymore.

_Anakin! ANAKIN! _Mr. Voice cried. _NOOOOO!_

The Doctor was screaming inside his head, the pain of what he felt was agonizing. He felt someone call out to him, but he wasn't sure who. They had obviously felt the Doctor's pain, so he closed himself off to anyone else so that they wouldn't have to feel his pain as well. The Doctor was left to deal with the pain alone. He felt the bodies of the Sand People hit the sandy ground of Tatooine, cut down by the wrath of Anakin Skywalker. He saw the children, huddled up in fear of the angered warrior. He heard, perhaps most eerily of all, a mechanical wheezing that inhaled, then exhaled. It was soon gone, but it left him shaken.

The Doctor sat rooted to his chair as his rescuer opened the door. Mace Windu rushed in and sat beside the Doctor, using his Force energy to calm down the Doctor. It worked, and the Doctor sent a ping of thanks to Mace.

"What is it?" he asked, concerned for the Doctor's well-being. Still shaken by the vision and the horrific sights, the Doctor could only manage to speak very minimally, uttering one word at a time.

"Pain," he simply said. "Suffering. And...death. A terrible thing has happened, and young Skywalker is in pain."

* * *

**Dun-dun-DUUUUUUN! And that is the conclusion of another exciting chapter of Star Wars (Starring the Doctor)! Hope you all enjoyed it. I apologize for the long stretch in-between chapters. I'll be more on it with regards to posting as the end of my school year rolls around in a few days.**

**If you believe you know who the mysterious Mr. Voice could be, leave your guess in either a review or private message. If you'd like to guess who the Doctor saves in Episode IV, that can also be submitted to me via review or private message.**

**As far as progress goes, it's been a bit slow for Episode IV. As I continue to delve into that story, I'll be writing more on it. I just need to get into it. Plus, I'll be more free during the summer months to write, so I'll be able to write more in a shorter amount of time because I'll just sit on my computer for hours and just write all day, which is actually what I did when I finished Clone Wars, believe it or not.**

**Anyway, that about does it for this author's note. Until the next chapter, my friends!**


	8. Gathering the Troops

Chapter Seven: Gathering the Troops

The Doctor took a break from his lessons with Mr. Voice. After what he experienced last time, he knew that he didn't want to have that happen again. Mr. Voice was content with that, having been shaken by the vision himself. The Doctor focused on other things, like the impending war. By now, every Jedi, even the Padawans, could feel it coming. Any day now, the galactic tension would erupt and the war would start. It was simply a question of when.

The Doctor and Mace worked out that they would eventually have to relay to Chancellor Palpatine what Obi-Wan relayed to them. He needed to know about the clones. The Doctor gathered the Council together for a meeting to tell them about the clones first. They needed to know before the Chancellor.

The Council members were currently sitting in their chairs, waiting for the Doctor to address them. The Doctor himself cleared his throat, willing the words to come out of his mouth.

"As you know, Obi-Wan Kenobi was sent on a mission to track down a bounty hunter," he began. "What he found along with the bounty hunter was a planet called Kamino. The native species of the planet are expert cloners, and they have apparently created an army for the Republic."

The Council members all gave off an impression of worry. They, like Mace and the Doctor, hadn't known about the clone army. Several members looked at each other in silent disbelief as several others looked at the Doctor with shocked expressions on their faces.

"Are you saying that they have prepared us for a war?" asked Coleman Trebor.

"Exactly, Master Trebor," answered the Doctor.

"How did they come up with an army so quickly?" asked Oppo Rancisis, shocked at the very thought.

"That's the real kicker," said the Doctor. "This has been going on for nearly a decade."

The Council members were visibly disturbed by this news. The Doctor was insinuating that they could not see that an army for the Republic for a war that hadn't even started yet was in production for ten years. Eeth Koth visibly covered his forehead with his hand in thought.

"We never authorized the creation of this army," observed Even Piell.

"He's right," said Adi Gallia. "Who placed the order if not one of us?"

The Doctor bit his lip, knowing that they wouldn't like the answer he was about to give them.

"Sifo-Dyas," he said. The stunned silence of the Council was reassurance of the fact that they did not see this coming.

"Sifo-Dyas died ten years ago," said Ki-Adi-Mundi. "There seems to be no possibility of his placing the order."

"Perhaps the order of events is switched," said Depa Billaba, her wisdom shining through once more. "Perhaps Sifo-Dyas placed the order, then he was killed."

"But by whom?" asked Shaak Ti. "And why?"

"I suspect the Sith," said Mace. "They must have figured out that he was trying to bolster the Republic without their knowledge, so they silenced him."

"That explains why he couldn't tell us," said Eeth Koth. "He didn't want it to be on record."

"The project must have been too far along for the Sith to stop on their own," postulated Adi Gallia, to which the collective Council agreed.

"I sense something sinister at work here," said the Doctor. "This chain of events is too easy. There's something else here. But what? What? That's the question of the day, isn't it?"

"Regardless of the mystery of Sifo-Dyas, we need to figure out what to do with the clones," said Mace, putting the Council back on its original track.

"Good point, Macey boy," said the Doctor. "We've been given an army, and there is a war about to start. Chancellor Palpatine might want to hear about these clones we have."

"But wouldn't he get suspicious, Doctor?" asked Ki-Adi-Mundi.

"Chancellor Palpatine is a suspicious man," interjected Plo, another rare moment of vocality in meetings which the Doctor appreciated in Plo very much. "If we explain the situation correctly, I'm sure he won't find reason to suspect us of going behind him."

"Very well said, Master Koon," said the Doctor through a smile in the Kel Dor's direction. "Brilliant plan! So, Council members, what do you say? Let's pay a visit to our esteemed leader."

The Doctor quickly set up a meeting with the Chancellor while the rest of the Council filtered out, save for Plo and Saesee, who now preferred to walk with the Doctor when leaving Council meetings. After the Doctor had contacted the Chancellor, he was surprised to see Adi Gallia staring at him, eyes glinting. She was looking at him through the Force.

"See anything you like, Master Gallia?" said the Doctor cheekily.

"I'm trying to find out where your thoughts are centered," said Adi. The Doctor could have easily told Adi where his thought were at the present moment. The coming war, Stass, the suspicion the Doctor had for the Chancellor, Stass, his previous learnings from Mr. Voice, Stass...

He stopped himself. Why was he thinking about Stass so much?

"You didn't respond, Doctor," Adi said, drawing the Doctor out from his trance of thoughts.

"My thoughts are centered around nothing in particular," the Doctor said. "The future, the past-"

"And my cousin?" asked Adi with a small smirk on her face.

"I-I never said-" stammered the Doctor, trying to find the words to counter Adi's argument.

"It's okay, Doctor. I won't tell anyone," said Adi in one of her less serious moments that were about as rare as Plo speaking at a Council meeting, yet not quite as rare as Saesee talking at all. He sent an inner thought of gratitude to her, while outwardly saying with a hint of pride and denial,

"I still didn't admit to anything, Master Gallia." To this, Adi could only roll her eyes and leave the subject at that.

The Doctor joined Plo and Saesee, with Adi following behind, and the four of them headed towards a large speeder that could seat the entire Council plus a few more.

"What did Master Gallia say to you, Doctor?" asked Plo curiously.

"She just wanted to know where I'm centered," the Doctor said cryptically.

"And where is that?" asked Plo.

"Nowhere in particular," said the Doctor, although a certain purple-eyed Tholothian came into his mind's view. The Doctor quickly banished the thought. Attachment was forbidden; he knew that.

So why was he still thinking about Stass?

The Doctor cleared his mind as he, Plo, Saesee, and Adi all entered the speeder along with the rest of the Council. They took off quickly for the Senate building, and were there in no less than thirty minutes. Inside the Chancellor's office was Palpatine himself, along with Mas Amedda, his aide, Bail Organa of Alderaan, Ask Aak of Malastare, and Jar Jar Binks, who was apparently filling in as Naboo's acting Senator while Padme was not present on Coruscant. The Doctor repressed a shudder when he remembered just where she was, who she was with, and what he had done to certain natives of that planet.

The Doctor took a spot next to Mace, as well as the Chancellor's Jedi advisors, Luminara Unduli, Barriss Offee, and Kit Fisto. The Doctor wasn't paying attention to Bail's conversation with the Chancellor. Too much political wibble-wobble. Instead, he looked around the room at the different faces belonging to the people in the room. He had just gone through the entire Council when his eyes fell on a very familiar and very welcome face: Stass Allie.

What was she doing here? Perhaps she had business with the Chancellor? Perhaps a mission report? No, that would have been silly. She would have reported to the Council, and besides, she didn't have any missions to begin with.

Adi and Stass were standing next to each other, and the Doctor would see the family resemblance. The same dark skin, similar headdresses, and the same body language, although Stass was just slightly more relaxed than her older cousin.

Stass inclined her head and caught sight of the Doctor. Instantly, her expression softened at the sight of the Gallifreyan. A small smile appeared on her face, and the Doctor reciprocated with a nod of his head.

"Doctor." The voice of the Supreme Chancellor brought him out of his thoughts, and the Doctor snapped his head in the direction of the Chancellor.

"Yes, Chancellor?" asked the Doctor.

"You and the Council have something to tell me?" asked Palpatine. The other Senators and Amedda were looking at him, and he could sense the eyes of the Jedi on him as well.

"It appears that a small, previously-unknown planet called Kamino has made an army for the Republic," said the Doctor. "They used a bounty hunter called Jango Fett to clone an entire army's worth of soldiers."

"How did they achieve this?" asked the Chancellor.

"Apparently, Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas placed the order for the army at the request of the Senate ten years ago," explained the Doctor. "It would have been near the beginning of your term."

"I do not remember such an event transpiring," said Palpatine.

"Exactly," said the Doctor. "I didn't think so. Regardless, Sifo-Dyas went behind the Council's back to create this army for the Republic. I suppose he could sense the war that's coming right now."

"How very odd indeed," said the Chancellor. "Well, we have our own army now. I suppose that the Separatists have or will have their army by now."

"Chancellor, if I may say, I do not feel that we should so willingly accept these clones," said Senator Organa.

"And why not, my friend?" asked Palpatine. "The clones have been provided for us. Why not use them in the war that we all know is coming?"

"These clones haven't been field-tested yet," said Organa. "We don't know what they're like."

"But there must come a point at which they are put to the test," said Palpatine. Bail Organa resigned his argument against Palpatine, and the Alderaanian Senator stepped back beside Jar Jar Binks.

Just then, a holocall came in for the Chancellor. The Chancellor put it through, and the holographic image of Anakin Skywalker appeared on the screen. For some odd reason, the mechanical breathing the Doctor heard in his vision about the Padawan was an ever-present whisper in the back of his mind.

"Council members, Chancellor," said Anakin. "Master Obi-Wan has given me a message to retransmit to you."

"Put it through, my boy," said the Chancellor. The Doctor and Mace both flinched at the reminder of the Chancellor's growing friendship with Anakin. It was just as suspicious as everything else Palpatine did.

Anakin's holoimage disappeared to be replaced by that of Obi-Wan Kenobi.

"Anakin," said Obi-Wan. "My long-range transmitter has been knocked out. Retransmit this message to Coruscant." This was obviously a prerecorded message, the Doctor figured.

"I have tracked the bounty hunter Jango Fett to the droid foundries on Geonosis," Obi-Wan continued. "The Trade Federation is to take delivery of a droid army here, and it is clear that Viceroy Nute Gunray is behind the assassination attempts on Senator Amidala." No surprise there. The Doctor always knew that Nute had a grudge against Padme and would do anything to see her dead.

"The Corporate Alliance and the Commerce Guilds have both pledged their armies to Count Dooku, and are forming a-wait. Wait." Obi-Wan's message was interrupted when he activated his lightsaber, having seen something in the distance. The Doctor heard a mechanized rolling sound, and soon Obi-Wan was fending off an attack from a fearsome droideka. The Council and the politicians were stunned at what they had just witnessed. Stass in particular looked shocked that a Jedi as powerful as Obi-Wan could have been captured. The Doctor and Mace looked at each other, quickly deciding on what to do. The Doctor felt the assent of every Jedi in the room as he spoke to Mace.

"There's more happening on Geonosis than has been revealed, it seems," he said.

"I agree," said Mace as Anakin's holoimage reappeared. "Anakin. We will deal with Count Dooku. What is most important for you is to stay where you are. Protect Senator Amidala at all costs. This is your number one priority."

"Understood, Master," said Anakin, bowing his head as the holotransmission cut off. Most of the Jedi, save the Doctor, Mace, Stass, Plo, and Saesee, left the room at that point, preparing themselves for a battle.

"The debate is over," said Ask Aak in his native Gran. "We need that army."

"Unfortunately," said Bail Organa, "the debate is not over. The Senate would never approve the use of clones."

"This is a crisis," interjected Mas Amedda. "The Senate should vote emergency powers to the Chancellor."

"But who would be brave enough to propose such a radical amendment?" asked Palpatine, adopting a humbled expression.

"If only," said Amedda, pausing for a moment to think of a Senator fitting Palpatine's description, "Senator Amidala were here."

The Doctor, as he and the remaining Jedi left, caught Jar Jar's expression, and the Gungan looked like he was about to do something very brave indeed.

On the way back to the Temple, the Doctor was discreetly listening to a telepathic conversation being held between Stass Allie and her cousin, Adi Gallia. At first, it was a bit boring, but then Stass subtly asked a question that could have made the Doctor raise an eyebrow.

_What do you think of the Doctor? _asked Stass.

_He is a good Jedi and a good friend,_ answered Adi.

_Okay._

_Was that not the answer you were looking for?_

_No, your answer was sufficient, _Stass said with a tone of defeatedness.

_Dearest cousin, do you wish to know if he's breaking the Code for you?_

_W-What? No! _Stass's stammering made the Doctor almost laugh out loud.

_The Doctor is my friend,_ said Stass defensively. _And besides, attachment is forbidden for a Jedi. It clouds our vision and warps our reality._

_That may be true,_ said Adi. _But love and attachment are not always the same thing._

The Doctor felt as though Adi had known that he was listening in to the conversation, and said that to both Stass and the Doctor. Was she actually encouraging the two to fall in love? The Doctor was unsure, but he would perhaps consult Mr. Voice about it next time they met.

The Doctor and the Jedi returned back to the Temple, and it was made clear to all of them that they would fight. Some Jedi Council members, like Oppo Rancisis and Depa Billaba, refrained from fighting in the coming battle. The Doctor was okay with that, as long as more Jedi didn't drop out like the two of them had. The Doctor, Plo, and Mace all decided that they would be the ones to go see if the Senate would vote Palpatine emergency powers. Knowing how well-liked Palpatine was, the Doctor had no doubt that the Senate would do so, but he had to make sure.

The Doctor, Plo, and Mace all took speeders back to the Senate building. When they arrived to the Senate rotunda, it became clear that Jar Jar Binks had indeed stepped up to the plate as the Doctor had thought and was motioning for the emergency powers to be given to Palpatine.

"Itsa clear deesa Separatists made a pact wesa desa Federation du Trade," he said in his bizarre way of speaking. "Senators, dellow felegates, in response to this direct threat to the Republic, meesa propose that the Senate give immediately emergency powers to the Supreme Chancellor." The Senators immediately erupted in cheers and praise for Jar Jar's speech, the Chancellor's new emergency power, and for Palpatine himself. The cheering was so loud and so long that Mas Amedda had to call for order at least once.

Palpatine then stood and addressed the Senate with his powerful speech-giving ability.

"It is with great reluctance that I accept this most generous offer," he said. "The power you give me, I will lay down once this crisis has abated." More cheers erupted from the Senate, and Mas Amedda once again had to call order.

"And as my first act with this new authority," Palpatine continued, "I will create a Grand Army of the Republic to counter the increasing threats of the Separatists."

The Doctor was not at all surprised by this outcome.

"It's done, then," said the Doctor.

"We must gather what Jedi we can and go to Geonosis to rescue Obi-Wan," said Mace.

"Agreed," said the Doctor.

"I will journey to Kamino," Plo volunteered, "to visit these cloners and see the army they have for us." The Doctor nodded and patted his friend on the shoulder.

"May the Force be with you, Master Koon," he said.

"And with you, Doctor," said Plo. He and Mace nodded to each other, and soon, the three senior Jedi were out of the Senate building and back at the Temple.

Plo had taken a Delta-7 Aethersprite to Kamino. It was the fastest ship available to him, so it would make getting to Kamino a lot easier.

The Doctor and Mace had gathered a team of leaders for their impromptu strike team. To them, they were the most capable Jedi fighters available to them. They were the Doctor, Mace, Ki-Adi-Mundi, Luminara Unduli, Shaak Ti, Kit Fisto, Saesee Tiin, Coleman Trebor, and Adi Gallia.

The leaders met in the Temple briefing room to discuss logistics for the rescue, namely how to get in. A holographic map of Geonosis appeared on the floor before the Jedi, and the Doctor was walking through it.

"If the Geonosians have captured Obi-Wan, then they'll most likely want to execute him for espionage," said the Doctor. "They'll most likely take him here, to the Petranaki Arena, or the Arena of Justice, if you like." He pointed to an arena-like rock formation on the surface of Geonosis.

"The question is," said Kit Fisto, "how do we get inside?"

"Excellent question, Master Fisto," said the Doctor. "Thoughts? Anyone?"

"We could sneak in," offered Luminara.

"Brilliant, Master Unduli!" said the Doctor.

"But how could we sneak two hundred Jedi into an arena and not get noticed?" asked Coleman Trebor. "It seems unlikely to do something like that."

"We don't have to sneak them all in at once," said Ki-Adi-Mundi. "We could have something of an advance guard taking the brunt of the initial fighting, then more and more Jedi could pour in as the fighting escalates."

"I like that idea a lot," said the Doctor. "That's very good, Master Mundi!"

"Thank you, Doctor," said Ki-Adi-Mundi, clearly happy that his ideas were accepted by the Doctor as the other Jedi's were.

"So, we have a plan?" asked the Doctor.

"Not quite, Doctor," said Mace. "What if there are aerial attacks? We won't last long against them without any air support."

"Of course," said the Doctor. "Well, I suppose we can have a team of Jedi in Delta-7's. Master Gallia, would you like to lead them?"

"What about Master Tiin?" asked Adi, seeing that Saesee was the better pilot.

"Saesee? What do you say?" the Doctor asked the Iktotchi.

_If it's all the same to you, Doctor, I would prefer to fight on the ground for now,_ came the telepathic response from Saesee. _Perhaps I will join Master Gallia later in the battle._

"He's staying on the ground," the Doctor translated. "He might join you in the air later on in the battle."

"As you wish, Doctor," said Adi.

"Alright, Masters," said the Doctor, clapping his hands with a sense of finality. "Let's go gather the troops and start a war. May the Force be with us."

With that, the Masters dispersed from the briefing room, and the Doctor lingered behind for a moment. He had a nagging feeling that he would be seeing this room often in the next few years. This war they were starting, he felt, would have a great effect on the Jedi Order, and it would test them, just as Mr. Voice said it would. The Doctor had no doubts of this, but he was left wondering how it would affect each individual Jedi, especially the younger Padawans, who didn't have as much experience on the field of battle. The Doctor, for the first time in what seemed like an eternity, although it may have been only a few days, feared for the future of the Order.

_What is wrong, my friend?_ asked Saesee.

_I fear for the Order,_ responded the Doctor. _I sense this war will irrevocably change us._

_I assume in a negative way?_

_I don't know for sure, and that's why I'm afraid._

_You shouldn't let your fear control you, Doctor._

_Of course. You're right, Saesee._

_I'm an Iktotchi. I'm always right. _An equivalent to a mental smirk was made apparent to the Doctor by Saesee, which threw the Doctor a bit off guard. Enjoying the sudden bit of extrovertedness from his friend, the Doctor decided to retort just as cleverly.

_If you're always right, or so you believe to be, why don't you speak up more in meetings? I'm sure we all could use your wisdom! _

Saesee patted the Doctor on the back, smirking once more as the Iktotchi sped up past the Gallifreyan.

"Because speaking should only be done when absolutely necessary," said Saesee. "I'm not a politician, Doctor. I'm a Jedi." Surprised at his friend's sense of humor, as with Plo's discovered sense of humor ten years ago, the Doctor could only smile and go off to find Jedi to gather for the rescue mission.

The Doctor found Jedi clambering to transports and fighters to join the team. Agen Kolar and his Padawan, Tan Yuster, were made aware of the mission by Coleman Trebor, while Barriss Offee was notified by her Master. The Doctor spotted Joclad Danva and Sarrissa Jeng, and they were discussing something when he approached them.

"Doctor," said Joclad, bowing to him. "What an unexpected surprise."

"There's a rescue mission for Obi-Wan going on, comrades, and there's probably going to be some fighting. Actually, scratch that, a lot of fighting," the Doctor quickly explained. "We need all the Jedi we can get. Are you in?"

Joclad and Sarrissa took a moment before responding to take in all of the Doctor's rapidly-spoken information.

"At once, Doctor," they said simultaneously before heading off to a transport.

The Doctor set off again to find more Jedi when he heard a voice from behind him.

"Doctor!" called Stass Allie. "Doctor!"

"Hello, Stass," said the Doctor with a grin that couldn't have been ignored if he even thought about wanting to try.

"So, I heard you've gotten yourself into a new batch of trouble," Stass remarked coyly to the Doctor, returning a smile of the same magnitude.

"This could be true, depending on what you're talking about," said the Doctor just as coyly. "If you're talking about the issue with the Slytheridors, I had literally almost nothing to do with it. It's their fault for trusting a noseless psychopath to lead them."

"Well, obviously. I mean, in what universe could one find it possible to "eat death"?" Stass said, going along with the Doctor's satire. She laughed, and regained a more serious face...as serious as she could attempt, anyway. "I mean this whole deal to do with Geonosis. Rescuing Master Kenobi and recruiting hundreds of Jedi to go along for the mission. Is this true?"

"It is," the Doctor said sadly. "I have a feeling that more than a few of our fellow Jedi will be killed before the day is over." At this, Stass's eyes widened in fear as a small gasp escaped from her. The Doctor could sense that her fear was directed not only to all of the Jedi as a whole, but for his sake in particular.

"How many do you think is 'more than a few'?" Stass asked timidly, most likely because she was afraid to know the answer.

"I don't know," said the Doctor. "And that's what worries me."

"Do you think I could be of any assistance, Doctor?" asked Stass.

"It would be beneficial to us if you joined our strike team," offered the Doctor.

"Would you have me, Doctor?" asked Stass, mocking a bow, which made the Doctor smile from ear to ear.

"Of course, Stass Allie," said the Doctor. "This way, please."

So, the Doctor led Stass to the Temple hangar, where Jedi were scrambling to fighters or small troop transports in order to fly to Geonosis. The Doctor, as he saw this, was surprised at the realization that this would probably be a regular occurrence for the next few years while this war was being fought. It made him feel like the Jedi had just irrevocably changed, and not for the better. He had thought it many times before, and he would do so many times again.

This war would be the ultimate test for the Jedi Order.

* * *

**Alright, so, character development out the wazoo for some of these people. So, as you can probably tell, the Doctor will be going to Geonosis, and Plo Koon will be going to Kamino to pick up the clones, then return to Geonosis to help the Jedi out. The next three chapters will all be Geonosis chapters. After that, it's an epilogue, then on to the Clone Wars! So you guys know what to expect, I'll give you the layout of the Geonosis chapters.**

**The first Geonosis chapter will be called 'Petranaki' after the arena that the Jedi fight in. It is purely the arena battle, from the beginning to when the circle of Jedi are surrounded by droids and Dooku talks to them.**

**The second Geonosis chapter will be called 'The Cavalry to the Rescue.' Plo Koon and the clones rescue the remaining Jedi and the battle spills out onto the entire planet. It will end when the Doctor goes to confront Dooku.**

**The third Geonosis chapter will be called 'The Doctor vs. the Traitor.' That's going to be the fight between the Doctor and Count Dooku, plus a little something extra at the end.**

**After that, it's the epilogue, and then the Clone Wars. We're nearing the end for Episode II, and I can't wait to see what you guys think of the Clone Wars. I'm really proud of quite a few chapters in that one.**

**Well, that about does it for this author's note. Until the next chapter, my friends!**


	9. Petranaki

Chapter Eight: Petranaki

The board was set, and the pieces were moving. The Jedi strike team had successfully snuck into the Petranaki arena on Geonosis undetected, and they were lying in wait for the Doctor's command. The Doctor himself was perched with Mace Windu in the hallway leading to a balcony. Standing on the balcony was Nute Gunray, his aide, a Neimoidian by the name of Rune Haako, the Geonosian Archduke Poggle the Lesser, a Mandalorian whom the Doctor assumed to be Obi-Wan's bounty hunter, Jango Fett, a small boy who looked similar to Jango, and Count Dooku of Serenno. All of them were watching what was happening in the arena, which the Doctor thought to be the planned execution of Obi-Wan Kenobi.

That wouldn't be happening today. Not on the Doctor's watch.

"Come on, Macey boy," he whispered to the Korun Master. "I think we've waited long enough." As Mace nodded in acknowledgement, the Doctor put his hand on his shoto in preparation and began to walk through the hallway toward the balcony. As soon as the Jedi Masters reached the opening, the Doctor activated his shoto, holding its blue blade at the neck of Jango Fett. As soon as this happened, a few Geonosians noticed, then a few more, and soon the entire arena had noticed the presence of the two most powerful Jedi in the galaxy.

"Doctor, Master Windu," said Dooku, turning around and staring them down with a condescension that was so characteristic of Serenno nobility. "How pleasant of you to join us."

"This party's over, Count," said the Doctor, determination evident in his voice. "Master Windu, I believe it's your call."

"As you wish, Doctor," said Mace. "Knights of the Republic! Stand your ground!"

The Doctor watched as over two hundred lightsabers activated, including Master Windu's purple-bladed lightsaber. their Jedi carriers creating a sea of blue and green that sent the Geonosians who had stayed previously running scared. As each saber was activated, the hum of them all combined continuously grew louder and louder, along with the growing worry that the Doctor caught in Dooku's eyes. His face remained stone, but that slight glimmer of concern was enough to give away his facade.

"Brave, but foolish, my old Jedi friend," said Dooku, mentally regaining his composure. "You are impossibly outnumbered."

"You know, somehow, I don't think that's true," countered the Doctor.

"We'll see," said Dooku. The Doctor heard marching feet behind him, as if an army were coming to meet him. The Doctor and Mace looked back to see what looked like several advanced battle droids walking towards them. These battle droids looked like the ones he had encountered on Naboo ten years ago, but these droids had extra armor on their torso, steel painting, and wrist-mounted blasters. The droids aimed their wrist-mounted blasters at the Jedi and fired, but the Masters were too quick. Even with the shortness of his blade, the Doctor had no trouble deflecting the red blaster bolts whizzing towards him.

The Doctor and Mace leaped out of the balcony just as they were greeted with a barrage of heat from Jango Fett's flamethrower. As they fell, the Doctor brought the green blade of his main lightsaber to life. Mace and the Doctor joined the mass of Jedi already in the arena as they took on the droids head-on. Blaster bolts were soon flying everywhere, and the Doctor could sense some Jedi struggling to keep up. In the confusion, the Doctor thought he noticed Senator Amidala and Anakin Skywalker taking part in the battle. A double-take confirmed it, and the Doctor simply shook his head in amusement before moving to take out one of these new super battle droids.

Explosions rang all around as some Geonosians started mounting their oddly-shaped turrets and took part in the battle. The Doctor noticed a few Jedi go down because of an explosion that nearly knocked him off-balance, and he mourned their loss for a moment before continuing his fight. Blasterfire whizzed past his head as the Doctor utilized the acrobatic nature of Ataru to its full advantage. Normally, Jedi who practiced Ataru couldn't stand against a constant barrage of blaster bolts, but the Doctor was no ordinary Jedi. He could mix forms, Ataru and Shien in this case. He weaved through blaster bolts that nobody else could have, and he was grateful for his mastery of lightsaber combat.

Reinforcements of droids made their entrance into the arena, followed by a small wave of Jedi, led by Stass Allie. The Doctor found his way towards her amidst the carnage, and the two Jedi stood back-to-back, a hard combo to break with even two Padawans, impossible to break with a Knight and the Grand Master of the Order.

"Having fun yet, Stass?" called the Doctor over the blasters and explosions.

"Ask me again when I'm not getting shot at, Doctor!" shouted Stass.

"Fair point," conceded the Doctor.

As the duo moved through the arena, never separating, the Doctor thought of the war on his home planet of Gallifrey, the one that lasted for centuries. The Republic wouldn't get involved, as Gallifrey was not a system in the Republic, so the Gallifreyans were left to fight on their own. The Doctor wanted so badly to take matters into his own hands and fight in the Time War, but he knew that Gallifrey was too personal for him to get involved. He chose not to fight. Almost one hundred and sixty years later, as the Doctor fought through the Petranaki arena on Geonosis with his fellow Jedi, he didn't quite know if he had made the right decision when he chose not to fight. He could have saved them all.

The Doctor was yanked back into the present when an explosion jarred him out of his thoughts of the past. The Doctor and Stass both looked at the charred body of Ichi-Tan Micoda with remorse. He was yet another needless death, and the Doctor had a feeling that he would be one of many in the years to come during this war.

The two Jedi continued their fight, the Doctor regretting that he couldn't mourn Ichi-Tan and the other dead Jedi properly. Stass, the Doctor noticed, was a good fighter, always having his back when a droid foolishly decided to attack them. They were a powerhouse, destroying any battle droids, super or otherwise, with ease. Eventually, however, Stass noticed that Kit Fisto was in trouble. Two droidekas and three super battle droids were closing in on him.

"I'm going to help Master Fisto, Doctor!" Stass called.

"Be careful, Stass!" said the Doctor. Stass smiled at him, warming his hearts as she ran off to assist the Nautolan Master.

The Doctor soon found himself cornered by a battle droid commander.

"Hold still, Jedi," it said as it took aim and fired. The Doctor laughed at its pitiful attempt to subdue him before jumping twenty feet over the droid, landing behind it and expertly deflecting a bolt to hit it squarely in the chest.

"Some droids," the Doctor mused to himself as he trekked forward. He soon met with Obi-Wan Kenobi and formed a back-to-back duo with him just as he did with Stass.

"You know, your Padawan seems to have a knack for disobeying Macey boy," said the Doctor, smirking at Obi-Wan.

"Believe me, Doctor, he excels at that," said Obi-Wan sarcastically. The Doctor smiled at his friend once more as the droids continued to pour into the arena. More Jedi were falling prey to the droids' deadly lasers. The Doctor saw that many Jedi who were falling practiced Niman. The Doctor reminded himself to stay away from Form VI in this war, especially here and now.

The Doctor saw Coleman Trebor, one of the leaders of the strike team, look up at Dooku. Master Trebor apparently saw an opening in Dooku's defense and tried to exploit it. The Vurk Master leaped up to the balcony and bravely faced Count Dooku, who looked shocked at the Jedi's sudden arrival. Trebor could have ended the war right there, were it not for Jango Fett. The Doctor felt each blaster bolt as it connected with Coleman Trebor's lightsaber, then his body. Master Trebor toppled over the balcony, his body and his lightsaber crashing to the ground in a heap. The Doctor's left heart felt a pain much stronger than it had with the deaths of the other Jedi. Master Trebor had been a Council member, and the Vurk was valued highly by the Doctor and the rest of the Council.

The Doctor and Obi-Wan glanced at each other for a moment before deflecting more blaster bolts from droids, redirecting them into the air or other droids. Either way, it didn't matter. With the death of Master Trebor, felt by each and every Jedi, the object of this skirmish was now to survive it. The Doctor reached out, trying to sense if Stass were still alive. She was, and the Doctor could feel that she was crying. So many Jedi were dying all around her; the emotion of it was too much for her. The Doctor mentally nudged her to let her know that it was okay, and her response was far more affectionate than the Doctor had anticipated.

_Doctor, I don't think this is fun anymore,_ Stass mentally projected to him.

_It was fun to begin with?_ asked the Doctor solemnly in response.

The Doctor could sense that Obi-Wan was listening to him, but the Jedi Knight made no move to enter the conversation. He was too focused on using his mastery of Soresu to defend himself against the onslaught of droids that seemed to be never-ending.

It seemed that the Doctor was almost too focused on his Ataru-and-Shien mix. He almost didn't notice the reek coming after him. The reek was gunning straight for the Doctor, not even caring about Obi-Wan, simply knocking him aside as it chased the Doctor. The Doctor cursed himself for forgetting about the execution animals.

"Oh, this is extremely very not good," the Doctor muttered as he felt the reek's breath right on top of him. He sliced at the reek, hoping to steer the execution beast away from him. His main saber managed to slice off part of one of the reek's three massive horns, but it was knocked out of the Doctor's hand as he fell to the ground. Just then, Jango Fett, obviously seeing a chance to kill the Doctor while he was vulnerable, dropped in, making a grab for the lightsaber. The Doctor used the Force to bring it back to him, reuniting it with his shoto.

The reek turned from the Doctor to Jango. Angrily, it proceeded in trampling the Mandalorian and damaging his jetpack. Luckily for Jango, he wasn't harmed, and the Doctor watched as Jango Fett prepared for a second charge from the reek. The reek itself snarled at the armored man, dragging one of its front feet along the orange Geonosis dust before charging once more. This time, Jango was not caught by surprise. The Mandalorian drew his blaster pistol and quickly shot the reek in the face, jumping out of the way as the dead animal skidded to a halt, its tongue hanging out of its mouth and its eyes closed.

Jango Fett looked for the Doctor and quickly found the Gallifreyan charging towards him.

"You're next, Jedi!" he called as he shot at the Doctor. The Doctor's whirling blades, fueled by his mastery of combat, were too quick for the bolts of Jango's blaster. The Doctor came ever closer to his prey, bounding towards him like a predator. Jango started to back away, realizing that the Doctor was too much for him. The Doctor caught a brief glimpse of smoke pouring out of Fett's damaged jetpack. The reek had turned the machine into a useless scrap pile, but by the time Jango realized it, it was too late. The Doctor swiftly cut through the pistol with his main saber before the blue-bladed shoto found its mark, a _sai cha_ mark.

Jango Fett's headless body sank to its knees for a moment, as if he were praying. The next moment, Jango's body flopped over uselessly, and the greatest bounty hunter in the galaxy was no more.

The Doctor regretted his action instantly. True, he had avenged Master Trebor's death, but he certainly hadn't wanted to extinguish Jango's life in the process. He didn't know what came over him. He had simply attacked without a thought. He feared that he may have been skirting close to the Dark Side just then, and he used to momentary pause in his constant defense against the battle droids to say farewell to Jango Fett.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I am so sorry."

As if the war were calling him back to reality, a huge explosion tore the Doctor's thoughts back to the battle at hand. Several Jedi were caught in the explosion and killed, much to the Doctor's sadness. He soon joined up with Masters Tiin and Mundi, forming a triangle with them that was virtually unstoppable in its defense. As all three Jedi practiced similar lightsaber forms, they were able to counter any and all opposition towards them. While in this triangle, the Doctor noticed Sarrissa Jeng cut down one of the many Geonosian warriors who had flooded the arena. He also quickly noticed Kit Fisto get the better of a battle droid with a very oddly-shaped head, almost like a protocol droid's head. The Doctor focused little on the droid, as he was trying to deflect any lasers that came at him, Saesee, or Ki-Adi-Mundi.

The Doctor soon became aware that this was not going to be a winning battle for the Jedi. As he watched poor Sarrissa Jeng get struck down by a droid from behind, he could sense that Saesee and Ki-Adi-Mundi felt the same apprehension.

"Perhaps we went a little over our own heads this time, Doctor," said Ki-Adi-Mundi. Master Tiin nodded his own agreement, but said nothing.

"I agree, Master Mundi," said the Doctor. "We need to fall back."

"How can we, Doctor?" asked Ki-Adi-Mundi. "The droids are surrounding us."

Even as Master Mundi said it, the Doctor could see it unfolding. The remaining Jedi were being forced back to the center of the arena, forming a large circle so as to deflect incoming blaster bolts. Even still, a bolt got through and struck a Jedi right in the abdomen. The Doctor felt another pang of sadness for his comrade as he fell to the dusty Geonosis ground, dead.

The Doctor, Saesee, and Ki-Adi-Mundi were all cut off from the main group of Jedi. Fear emanated from a few Jedi when they realized that the Doctor was nowhere to be found in their circle.

_Doctor?! _cried Stass Allie mentally. _Doctor, where are you?!_

_I'm here, Stass. I'm okay, _the Doctor mentally calmed her down, promising that she would be okay. The Doctor was strangely relieved to know that she was okay right now, though he didn't say anything about that. He had only just finished calming Stass when he realized that the droids had stopped firing at the Jedi. It was a standstill. A few Geonosian soldiers flew over to the Doctor, Saesee, and Ki-Adi-Mundi, ushering them over to the circle of Jedi after making them deactivate their lightsabers. Occasionally, the Geonosians rather rudely pushed the Jedi Masters, but the Doctor kept calm. He didn't want another Jango incident.

As the Doctor walked towards the circle, he could see all of the Jedi who had made it to the circle. There stood only about twenty Jedi, where there had been over two hundred. Besides Saesee and Ki-Adi-Mundi, Mace, Kit Fisto, Luminara Unduli, Adi Gallia, Shaak Ti, and Eeth Koth were among the survivors. There was also Roth-Del Masona, Sora Bulq, Bultar Swan, Tarados Gon, and Joclad Danva. Not surprisingly, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker had also fought to the end. Senator Amidala had also made it through, for her skills with a blaster, if not for Anakin's close protection. The Doctor mentally smiled; even in the heat of battle, Anakin still remained loyal to his objective.

The Doctor looked around to see Aayla Secura being escorted into the circle by a Geonosian warrior, and he wondered how many Jedi had gotten out of the arena. He could sense a few Jedi, like Barriss Offee, Coleman Kcaj, Agen Kolar, Even Piell, and K'Kruhk, who had made it out of the arena, but were ready to fight again at a moment's notice. Others were wounded and couldn't fight. The Doctor didn't blame them. Even he and Mace-for he could sense his Korun friend's feelings on the battle-didn't want to fight anymore.

The Doctor was brought out of his thoughts once more by the condescending boom of Count Dooku's voice.

"Doctor!" he called. "You have fought gallantly. If I do say so myself, your actions here today are worthy of special recognition within the Archives of the Jedi Order. But now it is finished. If you surrender to the droid army, then I promise your lives will be spared."

For the briefest of moments, the Doctor considered accepting Dooku's offer, but he remembered that these same droids had mercilessly slain over one hundred of his comrades. What would twenty more Jedi be to them, regardless of whether or not they surrendered? The Doctor quickly made his decision, and called out to Dooku.

"We're not going to be hostages for you to barter, Dooku!" he boomed, his full Gallifreyan authority taking hold. "We are Jedi, and we will defend ourselves to the very end if we have to!"

"Then," said Dooku, feigned sadness evident in his voice, "I'm sorry, old friend."

The battle droids then turned their guns once more on the Jedi. The Doctor reactivated his lightsabers and prepared himself for the coming onslaught. The Jedi probably wouldn't survive this, but the Doctor's instinct told him that they needn't fight at all. Something was close; the Doctor could feel it.

"Look!" cried Senator Amidala. The Doctor looked and was relieved. It was the Clone Army.

* * *

**Well, hey, would you look at that! New chapter! It's part one of the Geonosis chapters, and I hope you guys like it.**

**Related to plot points, Dun dun DUUUUUUUNN! The Doctor beheaded Jango Fett! What does this mean for Boba? Will he hunt the Doctor instead of Mace Windu? Yes. Is it elaborated on? Sort of. Doesn't get its own chapter or anything, but Boba is definitely out there looking for the Doctor after what he did to his father. That will carry on for a while, and it may or may not be resolved in Episode VI. *hint hint***

**On a completely unrelated sidenote having nothing at all to do with Star Wars (Starring the Doctor), how would you guys feel about a novelization of Subspace Emissary? For those of you who are unfamiliar with Subspace Emissary, it's the story mode to Super Smash Bros. BRAWL. I started writing it up last summer, but I never actually finished it. I'm thinking I might like to go back and finish what I started. If you guys want me to post it onto FanFiction, I'd be more than happy to. I won't actually start posting it up until SW(SD) is finished, but I wanted to know what you think of the idea. Sound off in a review or private message! I'd love to know what you think!**

**On a completely related sidenote having something to do with Star Wars (Starring the Doctor), Skylark C, you are absolutely correct. The "issue with the Slytheridors" that the Doctor so casually mentioned to Stass Allie in the previous chapter was, in fact, a shameless and totally shoe-horned reference to Harry Potter. I thought I'd just throw that in there just because. Also, while I'm on the topic of shameless references, I quoted Lord of the Rings somewhere in this chapter. If you find it, send me a private message or leave a review, and you will win a free internet.**

**Well, that about wraps up this rather long author's note. Until the next chapter, my friends!**


	10. The Cavalry to the Rescue

Chapter Nine: The Cavalry to the Rescue

The Doctor watched as the clones descended into the arena in waves of gunships. In one of the gunships stood Master Plo Koon, who was leading the charge. The gunships fired upon the droids, destroying several as the remaining droids opened fire on both the clones and the Jedi. The Doctor and the rest of the Jedi continued to deflect blaster bolts as the gunships circled the Jedi. Joclad Danva was shot down, and the Doctor mourned his loss for a brief moment as the swirling gunships descended to the ground, surrounding the Jedi in a perimeter of white armor and massive gunships.

"Go! Go! Go!" called the Doctor to the Jedi. They obeyed, and the survivors quickly ran to a gunship. Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Padme all boarded a gunship together. The Doctor saw Stass Allie safely board a second gunship with Shaak Ti, Luminara Unduli, Saesee, and Roth-Del Masona. She looked around and smiled when she found the Doctor. He smiled back at her as he boarded Master Plo's gunship. Alongside Plo and the Doctor were Mace and Ki-Adi-Mundi. Kit Fisto also managed to board just before the ship took off.

"Am I ever glad to see you, Master Koon!" beamed the Doctor.

"And I you, Doctor," said Plo, who was probably smiling under that mask of his.

"Pilot! Get us out of here!" ordered the Doctor.

"Yes, sir," responded the pilot. The Doctor shivered for a moment, realizing that the clones were clones of Jango Fett and, therefore, sounded exactly like him. He would have to get used to that. He would also have to get used to the fact that he might be called "sir" on occasion. Somehow, it bothered him that soldiers would call him "sir."

The gunships tore through the Geonosian sky as the battle poured out of the arena and became planet-wide. The Doctor saw that giant cruisers had infiltrated the Geonosis atmosphere and were pouring out more and more gunships with each passing moment. The sight of those cruisers was formidable, but all of it would be for naught if they couldn't capture Dooku.

"We need to take Count Dooku alive," urged the Doctor. "If he escapes, he'll rally even more systems to the Separatist cause."

"I agree," said Mace. "We'll get him, Doctor."

Just then, lasers from droid forces flew right past the Jedi. Their gunship accelerated past the initial barrage, and the Doctor saw a gunship carrying Eeth Koth, Tarados Gon, and Sora Bulq fly alongside them. There was another barrage of lasers from below, targeting Master Koth's gunship. There was nothing any of them could do to stop what happened next. The ship was soon engulfed in flames, and it crashed into the dusty Geonosis landscape. The Doctor, surprisingly, felt only one death among the three Jedi on the ship. He made a mental note to send a team out to the crash site to rescue whoever had survived.

The five Jedi Masters all saw an assembly area just ahead of their gunship. From there, they could stage their assault with whatever number of clones they were given.

It was Mace who called out to the pilot.

"Pilot!" he shouted. "Land in that assembly area!"

"Yes, sir," the pilot acknowledged, and the Jedi were soon landed at the assembly area. There were three clone officers, two captains and a commander. Mace disembarked from the gunship and headed for the commander, quickly strategizing with him. Plo and Ki-Adi-Mundi spoke with the captains. After Ki-Adi-Mundi had gone off to attack, Plo addressed the Doctor and Master Fisto, both of whom had not gotten off the gunship.

"I assume you shall be governing the efforts of this battle, Doctor?" asked the Kel Dor.

"To the best of my ability, Master Plo," said the Doctor. "But don't worry. In case I bog it all up, I've got Master Fisto here to rectify my mistakes." Both Kit and Plo smiled at the Doctor's jab at himself.

"In that case, Doctor, I don't think Master Fisto will need to do much rectifying," Plo complimented. "May the Force be with you."

"May the Force be with you, Master Plo," said the Doctor.

"Take us to the forward command center, pilot," said Kit. The pilot acknowledged, taking off as soon as Kit had ordered it. From his vantage point in the gunship, the Doctor could see almost the entire battle. Waves of droids poured out of the Geonosian spires to meet the new Republic Army head on. The clones were very formidable soldiers indeed, very adaptable. The Doctor couldn't wait to see if there were other types of clone soldiers besides the ones he was going to be working with now. If there were even more advanced soldiers, then the Separatist Army stood little chance against the Republic.

The gunship landed at the Republic command center, and there stood a commander, his armor accented yellow to distinguish himself from his inferiors.

"General, CC-8826 reporting, sir," said the commander, saluting him. The Doctor found it odd at first that the clones didn't seem to have names, only numbers. It dehumanized them in a sense. The Doctor didn't particularly care for it.

"Just Doctor will do, thanks," said the Doctor. "And please don't salute me, commander. I don't really care much for it." The commander looked confused for a moment at the Doctor's tendency to not follow military protocol, but obeyed him nonetheless.

"All forward positions are advancing, sir," said CC-8826.

"Very good!" said the Doctor. "Brilliant!" Kit Fisto joined the Doctor, and the two Jedi watched the battle unfold, calling out orders if necessary. As the battle for Geonosis raged on, the Doctor realized how effective and wise Master Fisto was. The Doctor was thinking that perhaps the Nautolan could be a good battle strategist on the Council during this time of war. He made a mental note to keep Kit in consideration for replacing the late Master Trebor on the Council.

The Doctor noticed that some of the Core ships often used by Trade Federation ships were taking off. The clones didn't have enough firepower to take them all down, but that didn't mean they couldn't destroy one or two of them.

"Commander, concentrate your fire on the nearest starship," ordered the Doctor.

"Yes, sir," said CC-8826. "Move all cannons to Sector 515." The clone soldiers under 8826's command acknowledged the order and locked their weapons on the Core ship closest to their position. The tanks that fired did so with giant green laser beams extending from the tank straight to the Core ship. The lasers busted right through the ship, causing its systems to fail. The ship came back down, crashing into Geonosis's surface and creating a huge dust cloud that covered much of the battlefield. The Doctor watched as the clones quickly adapted to the condition of the battle and continued to fight the droids as though nothing were wrong or different.

"You boys certainly are prepared for everything, aren't you?" said the Doctor to CC-8826.

"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir," said 8826.

The Doctor continued to watch the battle unfold along with CC-8826 and Kit. The droids got some minor victories over the clones, like the destruction of one of the AT-TE tanks or a few clones, but overall, they could not stand against the might of the Republic. More and more Separatist ships, both Trade Federation and Techno Union, were fleeing as fast as they could. The Doctor smiled at the scene, even though it was not yet over.

It was then that the Doctor felt an outpouring of emotion. It was not from him or Kit, or even from CC-8826, but from someone deep in the battlefield. He concentrated for a moment and soon found himself on a gunship standing next to Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi. They were shouting at each other. What they were shouting about, the Doctor couldn't tell exactly. He did know, however, that their shouting match concerned Senator Amidala, who was nowhere to be seen. The Doctor soon realized that the outpouring of emotion he had sensed earlier was from Anakin, and it was because of Padme.

"PUT THE SHIP DOWN!" Anakin's voice suddenly pierced the Doctor's head like a javelin.

"I CAN'T TAKE DOOKU ALONE! I NEED YOU!" Obi-Wan shouted back. So they were trying to capture Dooku. The Count might prove to be too much for even them. The Doctor frowned for a moment before concentrating on their conversation once more. Geonosis faded away as Anakin and Obi-Wan became the only things the Doctor saw.

"COME TO YOUR SENSES!" shouted Obi-Wan. "YOU WILL BE EXPELLED FROM THE JEDI ORDER! WHAT DO YOU THINK PADME WOULD DO IF SHE WERE IN YOUR POSITION?"

Anakin took a minute to respond to Obi-Wan. The Doctor could tell that the Padawan knew his Master was right. Padme would get the mission done, putting it ahead of her feelings, whatever they may be.

"She would do her duty," said Anakin. Satisfied, Obi-Wan ordered the gunship to follow Dooku's speeder.

The vision faded, but the Doctor managed to lock himself onto Obi-Wan's Force signature. He could now find him wherever he went, for the time being. He didn't exactly know where Dooku was heading, but he could be sure that Obi-Wan Kenobi would soon be there. The Doctor frowned in thought, worried for Obi-Wan and Anakin, who were unprepared for the good Count.

"Sir," said CC-8826, dragging the Doctor by his spiked hair back into reality. "The droid army is in full retreat."

"Well done, Commander," said the Doctor. "Bring me a ship."

"Yes, sir," said 8826.

8826 recalled one of the gunships from the field, and it soon landed at the forward command center. The Doctor dashed aboard and addressed CC-8826.

"Commander, I'm leaving tactical command of this battle to Master Kit Fisto," he said. "He'll lead you to victory; of that I am sure."

"Yes, sir," said CC-8826.

"Thank you for your kind words, Doctor," said Kit, smiling and bowing. "May the Force be with you."

"And with you, my friend," said the Doctor.

The gunship lifted off from the command center, and the Doctor could once again see the entire battle. CC-8826 was right. The droids were retreating, unable to stand under the might of the Republic. The Doctor looked out and saw all sorts of bodies. Droid parts, clone bodies, even a few Jedi bodies. The sight saddened him, and it angered him as well. This kind of destruction would become normal, he knew, but even still, his righteous anger came forth for a brief moment. He quelled it fast, and he refused to look at the battlefield, instead focusing on Obi-Wan's Force signature.

The Doctor guided the pilot to wherever he needed to go. Occasionally, he would call out "Turn right!" or "Turn left!" and the pilot would acknowledge immediately. These clones seemed to follow orders almost without question. The Doctor wasn't too keen on this, either, but he imagined that the clones would become more questioning as time went on.

Eventually, the gunship came across a hangar bay. The Doctor reached out, and Obi-Wan's Force signature was strongest there. The Doctor would most likely find Dooku there.

"Pilot!" the Doctor called. "Land at that hangar bay!"

"Yes, sir," obeyed the pilot.

As the Doctor disembarked, he felt pain. Obi-Wan and Anakin were both in pain. Using his heightened sense of smell, the Doctor could sense burnt flesh. Lightsaber wounds. Obi-Wan's weren't as severe, only glancing blows, but Anakin's right arm just about screamed in pain. There was a duel here between the young Jedi and Count Dooku. Clearly, Dooku was unharmed, but a bit winded.

The Doctor swaggered into the hangar bay, putting a cheerful grin on, and once again found himself face-to-face with the condescending stare of Count Dooku of Serenno.

* * *

**Oh boy! There's going to be major butt-kicking to be had! Sorry I haven't been posting for a little while. I've been caught up in things, and I've also been forgetting because I really do have short-term memory that reeks of sixteen different kinds of suck. Anyway, I'll post the remaining parts to AotC within the next day or so. I'd like to get those last two chapters onto the site before this Sunday because I'm leaving for France then, and I won't be back until July 8. I'll start posting TCW when I get back, or maybe I'll do the prologue and first chapter right before I leave. Whenever it happens to cross my mind that I need to post, I will.**

**Anyway, I think a progress report is long overdue. Don't you agree?**

**I: Finished**

**II: Finished**

**CW: Finished**

**III: Finished**

**IV: In progress**

**V: Not started**

**VI: Not started**

**Pertaining to Episode IV, I just need to do the Battle of Yavin where the Rebels go to destroy the Death Star and the ending portions, and that will basically be it for A New Hope. I'm drawing ever closer to the end, and it's really exciting. This is the single biggest project that I've ever tackled, and I think it's turning out really nicely. The only concern I have is how I'm going to divide Empire Strikes Back into chapters, but I should be able to figure that out pretty quickly. Other than dividing, I really should have no issue with these final two volumes of the story.**

**I haven't heard any of your thoughts about a Subspace Emissary novelization. That's still on the table if you guys would like me to do it. I'd be more than happy to finish it and share it with you, so let me know what you think of the idea in either a review or private message.**

**Anyway, that about does it for this author's note. Until the next chapter, my friends!**


	11. The Doctor vs the Traitor

Chapter Ten: The Doctor vs. the Traitor

Count Dooku regarded the Doctor's grin with a sort of smug condescension. The Doctor could just see the arrogance radiating from Dooku. It had always been there, but it was dormant until he had left the Jedi. Now that he was gone from the Order, the Doctor sensed that Dooku's opinion of himself had only grown exponentially.

"Doctor," he said, a bit of surprise in his tone. Perhaps he thought to leave Obi-Wan and Anakin to die as he made his escape. The Doctor would make sure that he wouldn't.

"Hello, Dooku," said the Doctor jovially. "Did you miss me?"

"Hardly," sneered Dooku. "You have interfered with our affairs for the last time." With that, Dooku used his command over the Force to hurl what looked like some type of light fixture at him. The Doctor simply outstretched his hand and reflected it with ease. Dooku then hurled another light fixture at him, but the Doctor reflected that one, too, merely flicking his hand and sending it flying across the room.

"'Our affairs?'" asked the Doctor, continuing his banter with Dooku. "Who's 'our?' Is that your little gang of Separatists? Or is it something more?"

Dooku responded by raising his hands in the air and causing part of the ceiling to cave in on the Doctor. Rocks dislodged themselves from the ceiling and headed straight down, aiming only to crush the Doctor into oblivion. The Doctor raised his hands in a similar manner, stopping the broken stones from completing their objective. He held them there for a moment before throwing them off to the side as he had done with the light fixtures.

"You've become powerful, Dooku," said the Doctor. "I can sense the Dark Side in you." That was true. Ever since he held his shoto at Jango Fett's neck and bantered with Dooku on that balcony, he had known that something was...different about him. Now he knew. Count Dooku had been corrupted by the Dark Side of the Force.

He was a Sith Lord.

The Doctor's expression hardened towards Dooku as the Sith Lord addressed the Grand Master.

"I've become more powerful than any Jedi," he said. "Even you." A barrage of lightning greeted the Doctor. He quickly used Force Absorb to take in the lightning, holding the swirling vortex of Force energy in his hand before returning to sender. Dooku reacted fast, deflecting the lightning up into the ceiling, yet he seemed shocked that the Doctor could reflect lightning as powerful as his. The Doctor could feel his shock, and he kind of enjoyed throwing off Dooku.

Dooku redoubled his attack, but it was not nearly powerful enough to affect the Doctor. He simply absorbed it into his hand, thinking nothing of it. Eventually, Dooku stopped his barrage of lightning, seeing that it wasn't going to work against the Grand Master. The Doctor saw Dooku's hand move to a curved-hilt lightsaber on his belt as the Doctor himself absorbed the remainder of the lightning.

"You claim to be powerful," he said. "But you've still got much to learn."

"It is obvious that this contest will not be decided by our knowledge of the Force," said Dooku, activating his lightsaber. From the curved hilt extended a crimson blade; the noise made was a sickening sound the Doctor had heard once before when he had fought Darth Maul on Naboo ten years ago. This only proved to the Doctor even further that Dooku had fallen so far from his pedestal of Jedi Master.

The Doctor didn't hesitate. He reached for his lightsabers, activating them and adopting an Ataru attack stance. Count Dooku leaped towards the Doctor, and the Gallifreyan met the Count head-on.

Dooku had mastered Makashi, Form II of lightsaber combat. It was the perfect dueling form, emphasizing control of the saber and precise marks. The Doctor's Ataru and Djem So combo that had been effective against Darth Maul was also effective against the traitor Dooku. Blow for blow, the Masters dueled ferociously, the Doctor using acrobatics and his advantage of a second saber against Dooku's masterful swordsmanship and precise movements.

Dooku's Makashi was nearly flawless, but even in its prime, it would have eventually fallen to the Doctor's Ataru-Djem So mix. Such was the case here. Dooku was almost constantly on the defensive, searching vigorously for an opening, so vigorously that the muscle memory that was his Makashi bladework was almost forgotten. The Doctor's robes flowed through the air seamlessly as his acrobatics grew more and more intense. For a moment, Dooku thought he had locked the Doctor's main saber down, only to be forced to retreat from his shoto.

The Doctor could sense Dooku's increasing frustration as he whirled around to jump to the starfighter that Dooku had stocked in the hangar bay. He bounded off the ship, missing Dooku's blade by centimeters, off the nearby rock wall, and back onto the hangar floor. The Doctor seamlessly flowed back into combat with the fallen Jedi, once more keeping him on the defensive at all times.

Eventually, the Doctor's sabers locked with Dooku's, and they faced each other, the young face battling against the old face.

"You know, for a Sith, you actually did pretty good," patronized the Doctor. "Brilliant fight! Loved it!"

"This is only the beginning, Doctor," said Dooku, practically spitting out the name of the Doctor. Dooku then reached out and gripped a giant pillar that was positioned near Obi-Wan and Anakin, causing it to start falling. The Doctor quickly saw this as an escape attempt on Dooku's part.

"No!" he shouted. Not wanting his friends to die, the Doctor quickly broke the saber lock, stuffing away his lightsabers and catching the pillar with the Force. He noticed it was much heavier than the rocks or the light fixtures Dooku had hurled at him earlier, and he struggled a bit under its weight. While the Doctor was preoccupied with the pillar, the Sith Lord made his escape, taking off in that starfighter of his.

The Doctor heard blasting outside and wondered who or what was causing such a racket as he gained control over the pillar. He gently pushed it over to a place where neither Obi-Wan and Anakin would be hurt by its weight, then let it crash to the floor of the hangar. He sighed in thought as Senator Amidala and a small group of clones arrived in the hangar.

"Anakin!" cried Padme, who practically sprinted over to him to help him up. His right arm had indeed been sliced off at the elbow, as the Doctor had thought. Obi-Wan's injuries were more glancing in nature, but he still needed help getting around for now. The Doctor ran to him and helped him get up.

"Easy there, Obi-Wan," said the Doctor. "I've got you."

"Doctor," said Obi-Wan weakly. "Dooku got the upper hand. I'm sorry. I should have-"

"There'll be no need for apologies, Master Obi-Wan," interrupted the Doctor. "It's in the past."

"As you wish, Doctor," said Obi-Wan.

As the Doctor and Padme carried Anakin and Obi-Wan back to the gunship, the Doctor couldn't help but wonder if Dooku was the mastermind behind Maul, or another pawn in a larger game. There was no doubt that he was a Sith Lord, but was he the Master or the apprentice? It was Maul all over again, and the Doctor had an unsettled feeling in the pit of his stomach and an ache in his hearts.

Regardless of the answer, it would worry him.

* * *

The man who called himself Tyranus sat patiently while his Geonosian solar sailer descended into the atmosphere of Coruscant. A starship like his own did not need to worry about the simple-minded dock officials who inhabited Coruscant's landing pads. It was inconspicuous enough not to be noticed. Even if his ship needed to worry about that, Tyranus did not. Where he was going, there wouldn't be any simpletons to stand between him and his Master.

Tyranus would continue to use his former name, but only for the campaign for the War. The galaxy may know him as Dooku, but Tyranus would always be his true name, for him and for his Master.

Tyranus's ship slowly approached the LiMerge Power building, which had served as his Master's headquarters for years. The gate slowly opened, and Tyranus entered the maw. The ship extended its landing gear, and Tyranus swiftly rose and exited the solar sailer. He was pleased to see his Master making his way towards his apprentice.

"The Force is with us, Master Sidious," said Tyranus proudly. He joined his Master's side and began walking with him as he prepared to give his report.

"Welcome home, Lord Tyranus," greeted his Master.

"I have good news for you, my Lord," said Tyranus. "The War has begun."

"Excellent," said Tyranus's Master. "Everything is proceeding as planned. Do you have the schematics?"

"I do, my Lord," said Tyranus. With that, Tyranus handed a portable hologram projector to his Master. His Master activated the hologram for a moment, and in that brief moment, the Ultimate Weapon flashed to life before its hologram was extinguished by Tyranus's Master. For the first time in that encounter, the Dark Lord of the Sith smiled.

"You have done well, Lord Tyranus," said his Master.

"Thank you, my Master," said Tyranus, his pride swelling up in him.

The Sith Lords both smiled evilly. The Great Plan was coming to fruition, at long last.

* * *

**As promised, the final chapter of Star Wars (Starring the Doctor) Episode II! All that's left is the epilogue, and this volume of the story will be complete. Not really much in the way of author's notes here. Saving that for the epilogue.**

**So, without further ado, to the epilogue, my friends!**


	12. The Clone Wars Have Begun

Epilogue: The Clone Wars Have Begun

The Jedi Temple was oddly silent. Most of the Jedi who had come back from Geonosis had gone into their quarters to mourn the loss of their friends. The mourning had carried on for the past standard day. The Doctor had comforted Padawans who had lost their Masters, and consoled the Masters whose proteges had been mercilessly gunned down. Agen Kolar was one such Master. The Zabrak's farewell with his Padawan, Tan Yuster, had been hard for him.

Saesee Tiin and Plo Koon had taken the duty of consolation off of the Doctor's shoulders, and now he was sitting in his seat in the High Council chamber, talking with Mace Windu and Obi-Wan Kenobi, whose injuries at the hands of Count Dooku were now on the mend. Anakin Skywalker's impromptu amputation was partially rectified through a bionic arm. Even still, the Padawan would have to get used to it.

Overall, the battle of Geonosis was a pyrrhic Republic victory. The Separatists had retreated, but the Republic had lost nearly all of their Jedi, along with thousands of clone troopers. If this were the norm, then this war would be costly indeed.

Kit Fisto had done remarkably well commanding the Republic forces in the Doctor's absence. He had ordered a search-and-rescue party for the downed gunship that contained Tarados Gon, Sora Bulq, and Eeth Koth. The clones managed to find Eeth Koth alive, but he was gravely wounded. To add insult to injury, there was only a charred corpse in the place of Tarados Gon, and Sora Bulq was nowhere to be found. Considering the losses the Jedi sustained, the Doctor figured that one out of three wasn't too shabby.

The Doctor focused his attention on Obi-Wan and Mace, who were just finishing up a discussion about Anakin. Apparently, he was escorting Senator Amidala home to Naboo.

"Have you chosen a possible replacement for Master Trebor?" asked Obi-Wan, indicating the Vurk's former seat.

"His shoes will be hard to fill," said the Doctor. "I think, however, that Master Fisto might be up to the challenge. His command of Republic forces on Geonosis was quite sound, and he would be a good military advisor for the Council."

"I agree," said Mace. "I'll talk to him about it."

The three Jedi fell into a comfortable silence for a moment before the Doctor sensed that Obi-Wan's mind was troubled. Something he had learned while on Geonosis had bothered him even more than learning about Master Sifo-Dyas.

"Something the matter, Master Obi-Wan?" asked the Doctor.

"It's something Count Dooku said to me while I was imprisoned on Geonosis," answered Obi-Wan. "He said that the Senate was being controlled by a Sith Lord called Darth Sidious."

The Doctor, Mace, and Obi-Wan fell into another silence, much more tense and worried than the last one. The Doctor had difficulty wrapping his mind around it. To say that the Sith controlled both sides of this conflict seemed ludicrous even to the most fanatical conspiracy theorists. It was certainly ludicrous to the three Jedi.

"Do you believe him?" asked Obi-Wan.

"It just doesn't seem feasible," said the Doctor.

"Let's not forget that Dooku's a confirmed Sith Lord," interjected Mace. "Lies and deception are his ways now. Nevertheless, perhaps we might want to keep a closer eye on the Senate, in the event that he actually was telling the truth."

"Agreed, Master Windu," said the Doctor.

"I have to admit, though," said Obi-Wan. "Without the clones, we wouldn't have achieved a victory on Geonosis."

"Victory?" asked the Doctor rhetorically. "I wouldn't quite call that a victory, Master Obi-Wan. The shroud of the Dark Side has fallen. The Clone Wars have begun."

The three Jedi fell silent once more, and they were all thinking the same thing. They were all thinking that the Clone Wars would be the ultimate test of strength for the Jedi Order.

* * *

**And thus ends the second volume of Star Wars (Starring the Doctor)! It's been a pleasure posting this one up onto FanFiction! I'm really glad you liked it, and I hope you will continue to enjoy future volumes!**

**Up next on the posting roster: The Clone Wars. To date, this is the longest volume of the five that are written (or nearly so). The document writer I use has it listed at 120 pages. It's almost twice as long as AotC and about 2.5 times longer than TPM. Regardless of length, I hope you enjoy it just as much as the previous two. As I said before, there are some chapters in TCW that I am particularly proud of, especially Chapter Eleven.**

**I want to thank everyone who favorited and reviewed this story. I also want to welcome anybody who put me on their Favorite Author list since TPM finished posting and AotC started. It really means a lot to me that you guys like the work I've done so far. You guys are truly fantastic!**

**With that being said, AotC is officially finished, and so is this author's note. Be on the lookout for Star Wars (Starring the Doctor): The Clone Wars! It's coming soon!**

**Until the next volume, my friends!**

**blade0627**


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